It would cost Pro Bowl wide receiver Anquan Boldin $17,000 per day under NFL rules if he were to hold out of training camp.
Beyond that financial fact of life governing players under contract like Boldin, the Arizona Cardinals are anticipating that the star wideout will report on time because he wants to be there.
“I’m optimistic that he’ll be there,” Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said during an NFL Network studio appearance tonight. “I know for sure we’re a much better football team with Anquan than we are without him.
“To put together the type of season he did last year when a lot of this controversy was going on shows you the type of player he is and the type of character he has. Hopefully, we’ll come into camp a lot smoother than last year and we won’t have any distractions. We’ve certainly had enough of that this offseason.”
Boldin remains unhappy with his unresolved contract situation, and he’ll need to be patient since General Manager Rod Graves recently told the Arizona Republic that any serious talks are “several weeks away.”
With Boldin in the lineup, the Cardinals have a formidable outside presence as he works in tandem with Larry Fitzgerald.
“Anquan gives you a physical presence with what he does with the ball in his hands, and what he does downfield,” Whisenhunt said. “When you have a player as talented as Anquan you want him involved and working with you as much as possible.”
