Veteran wide receiver Anquan Boldin surprisingly announced his retirement on Sunday just two weeks after he signed a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills, telling ESPN's Jim Trotter that his "life's purpose is bigger than football."
He plans to focus on the "larger fight for human rights," but why retire so quickly after choosing to play again? Boldin told SiriusXM NFL Radio that last week's events in Charlottesville prompted him to make the decision.
“Just seeing things that transpired over the last week or so, I think for me there’s something bigger than football at this point,” he said. “And it’s kind of shocking for me to say that because football has been something that I’ve dedicated my life towards. I can remember as a kid wanting to get to the NFL and watching to be a professional football player. I dedicated my life to that, and I never thought anything would take the place of that passion. But for me, it has.”
Boldin did say that he was "all-in" when he signed with the Bills and wanted to help them win the Super Bowl, but feels called to do something bigger at this time.
“I’m uncomfortable with how divided we are as a country,” Boldin said. “Is it something new to us? No. Is it something that we’re just starting to experience? No. But to see just how divided we are, I’m uncomfortable with that. Do I expect everybody to feel the same way that I do? Of course not. Different people have different passions about different things.”
“Humanitarian work is something that I’ve been working on for years. Advocating for equality, criminal justice reform, all of those things are something that I’ve been working on for years. So this is not just a fly-by-night decision for me. It’s something that I’ve been dealing with for years, and it’s something that I’m willing to dedicate my life towards. Do I think I can solve all the problems that we have in this country? Of course not. But I think I do have a duty to stand up and make my voice heard and be a voice for those that don’t have a voice.
“My passion for the advocacy work that I do outweighs my passion for football at this point. So I’m not coming back to play for a contender or to do anything else. I’m done with the game of football. And I appreciate all the opportunities that I’ve been afforded because of football, but at this point I’m done.”
Here's the initial statement Boldin made Sunday night when he announced his retirement.
Statement from Anquan Boldin on his decision to retire: pic.twitter.com/z19jekK33R
— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) August 21, 2017
Boldin will turn 37 this season, but he still produced last year. He caught 67 passes for 584 yards and eight touchdowns last year for the Detroit Lions.
The Bills traded Sammy Watkins to the Los Angeles Rams last week after adding Boldin to the roster, getting wideout Jordan Matthews in a separate trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. The retirement of Boldin will likely result in more playing time for rookie Zay Jones.
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