The San Francisco 49ers have some decisions to face in the coming offseason with a variety of free agents, and one of them is wide receiver Anquan Boldin. In a recent interview to promote his Q81 Foundation, Boldin told 49ers beat writer Cam Inman that he hopes to be back with the team next season. He also said he has not heard anything from the team thus far about a new contract.
Boldin is 35 and has said he does not want to overstay his welcome in the NFL. However, he also made it clear he wants to play next season. Trent Baalke has not met with the press recently, so it doesn't seem like anybody has asked him about Boldin's status to date. I imagine we would get the same canned response about wanting to reward their own free agents, and being on the same page, or something like that.
If the 49ers are unable to turn this season around, it would not surprise me if they let Boldin walk as part of a broader re-building effort. They could potentially net a comp pick for him if he signs elsewhere. Part of the decision will depend on how Boldin looks over the final seven games. He has not played the last two weeks with a hamstring strain, but hopes to be back for the Seahawks game after the bye. He told Inman he thinks he returned too quickly after injuring the hamstring against the Ravens, but he will now have three weeks off following the bye.
Do you expect Boldin back in 2016? It is hard to say what this offense will look like next year given the potential turnover at the quarterback position.