Last week, our first KORY SHEETS WAS OUR FUTURE (KSWOF) player of the game of the season was announced, and we went with C.J. Beathard. The award is a callback to the greatest and worst fanpost in Niners Nation history, and this year, we’re giving it to whichever player comes up big in the fourth quarter of preseason games.
This week, Victor Bolden Jr. is our future.
Bolden has been handling the bulk of the kick return duties in the preseason, and he looked great doing it on Saturday against the Denver Broncos. In the fourth quarter, Bolden had a 25-yard kick return following a Broncos field goal and the next time out, he turned on the jets.
That play saw Bolden catch the ball 4 yards deep in his own end zone, and he took it 104 yards, avoiding several tackles, for a touchdown. It was one of the few bright spots in the game, and you can see it in all its glory below:
Against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first preseason game, Bolden had two kick returns for 63 yards, with a long of 37 yards. In total against the Broncos, Bolden had five returns for 184 yards and a touchdown.
Even without the touchdown, Bolden looks just as fast, decisive and shifty as advertised. Throughout training camp, Bolden was a popular target and made some flashy plays on offense. He hasn’t really done that on offense through two preseason games, but he genuinely feels like a dangerous returner and I’m eager to see what he can do going forward.
As far as I’m concerned, Bolden has a roster spot and the starting kick return job on lockdown. And, of course, that means he is our future!