One month after helping the Baltimore Ravens trump the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII, wide receiver Anquan Boldin is now joining them.
ESPN and the Baltimore Sun reported Monday afternoon that the Ravens agreed to trade Boldin to the 49ers in exchange for a sixth-round draft choice.
Boldin, 32, is scheduled to earn $6 million in 2013, the San Francisco Chronicle notes. However, Boldin would not take a pay cut when asked by Baltimore as a way to help them get under the salary cap, claiming that it was a matter of "principles."
"At no point, no matter how well I played, would I come back to the table and say, 'I need more money.' The contract that I signed was the contract that I intended to play out," he told USA Today.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco, who recently signed a record six-year, $120 million deal, also told the newspaper that he supported Boldin's decision, noting that Boldin played a big part in the team's run to the Super Bowl title this past season.
"Obviously, when you're a player of his caliber, you believe you're worth a number and that's what you should get. He's going to stick to his guns, and that's the way it should be," Flacco said.
A three-time Pro Bowl wideout, Boldin caught 65 passes for 921 yards and four touchdowns last season. He should provide San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick a steady set of hands and a reliable target to throw to as San Francisco--who recently agreed to trade quarterback Alex Smith to Kansas City--prepares to make its run at another Super Bowl after falling just short of beating Baltimore.
Boldin is currently in Africa on a mission.