San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Anquan Boldin was recently nominated for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year award, and that has had him making the media rounds. There has been discussion about the award, but naturally he is getting some questions about teammate Blaine Gabbert. He conducted an interview with NFL Network, and talked about Gabbert's athleticism, his future with the team, and Boldin's own future with the team. You can watch video here.
On Gabbert's scrambling:
I wasn't surprised by the 44-yard touchdown by Blaine. I mean, anybody who's been around him, seen him in practice knows that he has some wheels on him. I think that's an underrated thing about Blaine. I think people don't understand how athletic he is. I mean he can spin the ball, he can make every throw on the football field, but he's athletic as well, and he can make plays with his legs.
On what 49ers knew that no one else knew about Gabbert:
The type of quarterback that he is. We get a chance to see him every day, obviously, in practice. Like I said, he can throw the ball with the best of them. But I think Blaine matured from having his struggles in Jacksonville. He's had time to sit back and really learn. And I think him coming over here has really been a blessing in disguise for not only him, but us as well. I mean, you've seen him the last couple weeks, he's been playing lights out. We're happy to have him here, we enjoy playing with him, and everybody on this team has confidence in him.
On if he can be the future:
I definitely think so. I think his body of work over the last couple of weeks speaks for itself. You don't just come in and play the way that he's been playing by luck. He's honestly prepared the right way. He's put himself in a position to be successful, just going out there, having fun.
On Boldin future:
Only God knows [laugh]. I mean as long as I'm healthy and able to do it at a high level, I'll continue to put myself out there.
On playing next year:
Oh definitely. That's without question.