After learning he had been traded from the Ravens to the 49ers, receiver Anquan Boldin pronounced himself shocked.
Boldin, who had previously said he was sure the Ravens were the last NFL team he would play for, told ESPN he never saw the trade to the 49ers coming.
“You know, for me it was an initial shock because I had no clue that I was going to be traded,” Boldin said. “So for me, it was shocking at first, but I mean it, for me it is also a good thing. You know, when I look at the organization and what they’re about, and as a football team, the talent that they have, I think it’s a good, good place for me to be.”
Boldin said he enjoyed the time he spent in Baltimore and has no hard feelings.
“My time with the Ravens has been great. For me, I’m very thankful for all the support of the fans. I’m very thankful for the organization, the things that they’ve done for me and my family. It’s been a great locker room. You know, I was brought to Baltimore to win a championship and, you know, we were able to do that, so I feel accomplished. I definitely don’t feel like I’ve left anything behind as far as on the football field in Baltimore, but there’s a lot of great people that I am going to miss. You know, for me, it’s a little bittersweet because, you know, I always thought that Baltimore would be my last stop. I gave my all to the city, so I don’t have any regrets from that part. You know, sometimes the business part of this, of football, you don’t let things end the way that you want it to.”
Still, Boldin is ready to move on and continue his career with the 49ers.
“You know, it’s cool,” Boldin said. “Like I said, you know, to be where San Francisco is and was, you know, the team that we played in the Super Bowl, a team that’s very close, a team that I feel like is on the cusp and hopefully I can go there and help them achieve the goals they have in mind.”
If Boldin had to leave Baltimore, it could have been a lot worse than leaving one Super Bowl team for the other.