At Age 35, Does Anquan Boldin Fit in With 49ers' Plans?

Tough wide receiver, a leader on and off the field, is headed toward free agency in March

Since joining the San Francisco 49ers in 2013, Anquan Boldin has been the team’s go-to wide receiver.

The tough-minded veteran, who just completed his 13th NFL season, has led his team in receiving in all three seasons, with 85 catches and 1,179 yards in 2013, 83 for 1,062 in 2014 and 69 for 789 in 2015.

But at 35, Boldin is at a crossroads. He’s due to become an unrestricted free agent in March. He’s said he wants to play at least another season, but doesn’t know yet if the 49ers want to re-sign him. He also hasn’t said if his goal is to remain with the team or seek a job elsewhere.

Also, there are signs that Boldin isn’t nearly the player he was five seasons ago, when he averaged 15.6 yards per catch for the Baltimore Ravens. Since that season, his yards-per-catch average has been on a steady decline to 14.2, 13.9, 12.8 and 11.4 in 2015.

On a conference call with media this week regarding his selection as a finalist for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, Boldin said he or his representatives have yet to meet with the 49ers about a new deal.

“I haven’t talked to anybody yet,” Boldin said. “I’m not to the point where I feel like I have to deal with that right now. I’ll deal with it when the time comes.”

Already, speculation has begun that Boldin might be a good fit in places such as Kansas City or Baltimore.

But with new head coach Chip Kelly taking over the team, Boldin still might be a good fit for the 49ers if the price is right. He’s a good possession receiver, a solid blocker and a leader on and off the field. The fact Boldin says Kelly called him, just to introduce himself after he was hired may be a sign Kelly would like him to be around in 2016.

Certainly, Boldin is curious about what Kelly’s offense will be like.

“I think everybody is,” he told writers on the conference call. “It’s always that way when you have a new coach coming in. Everybody is (curious) about a number of different things. We’ll just have to see how that plays out.”

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