Former Arizona Cardinals receiver deserves to be in the Hall of Fame
By Sion Fawkes
The Arizona Cardinals have had few bright spots during the NFL’s modern era, but there are some players who more than deserve recognition. Throughout the years, the franchise has seen Aeneas Williams, Larry Wilson, Jackie Smith, Dan Dierdorf, and Roger Wehrli inducted, and we can only assume Larry Fitzgerald will also join them in the very near future.
But there is another prominent receiver from the 2000s and 2010s who is also worthy of enshrinement into the Hall, and it’s none other than Anquan Boldin. In his rookie season, Boldin sent shockwaves through the league, giving the lowly Cardinals something to cheer for in 2003 when he recorded 101 receptions for 1,377 yards, and eight touchdowns.
Boldin logged another 102 catches in 2005, breaking the century mark for the second time in just his third season in the league. He also had 1,402 yards and seven touchdowns through the air that year. And in 2008, Boldin played a pivotal role in helping the Cards reach their first Super Bowl with 11 touchdown receptions and 89 total catches.
Arizona Cardinals great Anquan Boldin deserves a spot in the Hall
Overall, Boldin finished his career in Arizona following the 2009 season, but not before he accumulated 586 receptions, 7,520 yards, and 44 touchdowns. He was also productive during his stops with the Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, and Detroit Lions.
Boldin retired before the 2017 season with 1,076 catches, 13,779 receiving yards, and 82 touchdowns on 1,737 targets. At the time of this writing, Boldin is ninth all-time in receptions, and one of just 14 pass-catchers to record at least 1,000 career receptions.
He is also 14th all-time in receiving yards, and one of just 54 players to have recorded at least 10,000 in a career. Boldin is also tied for 29th all-time with the great Reggie Wayne in receiving touchdowns, and ironically enough, former Arizona Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins is the closest active player to him with 75.
Given these numbers, and the rare company Boldin finds himself in, he is more than worthy of earning a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We will see if Canton is calling his name soon enough, but if you ask those of us in the Red Sea, we would be quick to say he deserves to be enshrined.
feed
Source: Former Cardinals Anquan Boldin and Dwight Freeney named 2024 HOF semifinalists by David Veenstra, ArizonaSports
(Statistics and historical information provided by Pro-Football-Reference)