NFL Rumors: Anquan Boldin Would Come Out Of Retirement To Join Patriots

The New England Patriots are poised for a deep postseason run in 2017, and one recently retired player reportedly is interested in getting in on the action.

Anquan Boldin would consider making an NFL comeback in order to join the five-time Super Bowl champions, according to The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin

Boldin signed with the Buffalo Bills in early August, but after less than two weeks with the team, the three-time Pro Bowl selection decided to hang up his cleats in order to focus on community organizing in wake of the events in Charlottesville, Va.

Speaking with The Washington Post shortly after his decision, Boldin made it clear that he still feels like he can play, but his passion for giving back exceeded that for football.

“Do I feel like I can still play? Of course,” Boldin said. “My passion for the advocacy work that I do outweighs football at this point, so I’m not coming back to play for a contender or to do anything else. I’m done with the game of football.”

However, Volin reports that Boldin would be interested in playing his 15th NFL season in New England, and that the Patriots “had mutual interest in bringing Boldin to New England this offseason, and he remains intrigued by the possibility.”

Boldin will turn 37 on Oct. 3, and it’s no secret that he’s well past his prime. Not to mention, the Patriots’ wide receiver depth chart is loaded even after the Julian Edelman injury, including the likes of Brandin Cooks, Chris Hogan, Danny Amendola and Malcolm Mitchell.

Quarterback Tom Brady’s arsenal of offensive weapons goes further than wideouts, too, as New England employs a slew of pass-catching running backs and versatile tight ends. Given the current state of the Pats’ roster, it would be hard to imagine the team bringing on Boldin less than a week away from the start of the regular season.

But if New England, for whatever reason, is in need of receiving help during the course of the 2017 campaign, it sounds like Boldin happily would answer a phone call.