Anquan Boldin is the constant heart-beat to the Cardinals offense. He's a play-maker. He's a fighter. He's a man among men. Much of his production has been clouded by the negativity generated from the media and fans (myself included) over his contract demands the last two seasons. There's no denying what Anquan Boldin brings to the table everyday - passion.
If we look at what he's done the last two seasons, he's been very superb despite the beating he puts his body through each week. In 25 games he has 163 catches for 1,913 yards and 16 touchdowns. Last year, after a devastating hit he took against the Jets - in which Boldin was knocked unconscious with a sinus fracture - he returned three games later to score a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers. This year - even with a sore hamstring - Anquan was inserted into the line up the first week of the season after Steve Breaston was unable to play with a knee injury. Boldin played with the tweaked hamstring till week six, where he sustained a high-ankle sprain against the Seahawks. It wasn't till the next week against the Bears, when Boldin was forced to sit out by head coach Ken Whisenhunt. Boldin's willingness to play resulted in him publicly calling out his coach for not being man enough about his situation. It's obvious his passion to play the game of football is something that cannot be replicated, and it's a fiery prowess that only Q brings to the team.
Not only is he an emotional leader to the organization, he's stalwart on the field. Boldin has been relied upon on countless occasions to force his will on opponents and put the Cardinals in position to win games. Point being - Anquan Boldin makes plays with the football. We'll omit the first seven games of the season seeing how he was unmistakably not 100% during that span. In the last six games Boldin has 39 receptions, and of those, 23 resulted in first downs. If you rule out the ugly losses to the 49ers and Titans (Warner DNP), Boldin then has 29 catches with 20 resulting in first downs. Four of the 20 first downs concluded in the end zone. Currently Boldin has 31of his 74 receptions on 1st down this season, averaging 13.5 yards per catch. Judging by that, it's easy to see the Cardinals look for Anquan early to move the chains.
Not many can say they would've returned to action after the vicious hit he took last year, and even after the hamstring and high ankle sprain he suffered this year. He's a vital part of the offense and it may come down to losing him via trade for many to realize that. What are your thoughts on Boldin's status with the team and how important is resigning him?