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The San Francisco 49ers lost an ugly game on Sunday, but there has been one particularly notable result. Wide receiver Anquan Boldin caught his fourth pass of the game late in the third quarter, and it was his 900th career reception. Boldin reached the mark in 164 games, which is third fastest in NFL history, behind only Marvin Harrison (149 games) and Andre Johnson (150 games).
Boldin finished the game with 6 receptions for 93 yards and one touchdown, and is once again leading the 49ers in receptions (45) and receiving yards (540). Stevie Johnson has been the most effective receiver, but Anquan Boldin continues to roll along with another productive season. The 49ers offensive line has been a major problem this season, and yet he remains on pace for his seventh 1,000 yard season.
Boldin heads into Week 10 ranked No. 17 on the all-time receptions list. His 902 career receptions leaves him 11 back of Jason Witten, 18 back of Torry Holt, and 38 back of Art Monk. He ranks No. 24 all-time in receiving yards, with 11,884. Fittingly, he is 4 yards ahead of former teammate Larry Fitzgerald. Boldin is 20 back of Michael Irvin for No. 23.
Boldin would probably need another Super Bowl to further his way into Hall of Fame consideration. That being said, while he is 34, he is in the kind of shape that could allow him to play football for quite a few more seasons. The top of the career receptions list looks like this:
1. Jerry Rice - 1,549
2. Tony Gonzalez - 1,325
3. Marvin Harrison - 1,102
4. Cris Carter - 1,101
5. Tim Brown - 1,094
Moving up the list helps Boldin's case, but certainly does not lock him in, particularly given the offensive era in which he plays. However, with potentially another ring, and a few more productive seasons, he will at least be in the discussion.