Cards' Boldin stays true to word

For the modern athlete, who - in general terms - loves the sound of his voice - the concept of "shut up and play" can be a tough one.

Take Anquan Boldin, who spouted off against Cardinals management at both the start and near the end of training camp.

Boldin believed he'd been promised a new contract, even saying team officials "lied" to him.

But he promised to be a pro once the season started. And so he has.

Boldin has played as well as ever while - as he'd vowed even during his anti-management rants - proving to at least be a neutral force in the locker room while saying little about his contract.

Asked about the difficulty of suppressing his feelings, Boldin turned the tables in a Socratic way, asking his own questions.

"Does it seem like it's difficult? I told you (earlier) how I feel about it. I told you it wouldn't be a distraction.

"From the outside looking in, does it seem like it's a distraction?"

No it doesn't, not in a week that featured Boldin catching three touchdown passes, a career high.

"There you have it," Boldin said, answering his questions.

The same isn't true for his agent Drew Rosenhaus, who continues to sing a song of Boldin's woe in the background.

As recently as last week, Rosenhaus continued to campaign for a trade, even to the lowly Dolphins just before the Cardinals blew them out.

"It's a shame that he'll be wearing a Cardinals uniform against the Dolphins, rather than the other way around," the Palm Beach (Fla.) Post quoted Rosenhaus.

(In a recent interview, the agent conceded that his decision to agree to a 5-year, $22 million contract for Boldin with the Cardinals after the 2005 season may not have been for the best.)

Asked about Rosenhaus, Boldin said, "I can't tell him what to say and what not to say. All I can do is hold true to my word."

Boldin said his dicey contractual situation was a matter of fact "as soon as I stepped on the field.

"I don't feel the need every week to discuss how I feel. I did that in camp. Now, I'm here to play football. That's what I'm focused on.

"I'm not even worried about what people say or think. The only thing I'm worried about is the guys in the locker room. They worked too hard this offseason for me to come in and be a distraction to this team.

"I refuse to be a distraction. I won't be a distraction."

It helps that the nagging hip and toe injuries from last year have healed.

"Anytime I've been on the field and healthy I've been productive. I'm healthy again this year."

While Boldin's leadership role has taken a hit - he wasn't voted a team captain as he was last year - coach Ken Whisenhunt praised him for working with rookie receiver Early Doucet and other young players.

Whisenhunt, whom Boldin has criticized for taking an active role in negotiations for the team, reiterated, "I've always said Anquan is a good football player. We want him on our team.

"From what I've seen from Day One, he practices hard, he works hard, he interacts with this teammates and coaches.

"I don't anticipate that ever changing."

Boldin by the numbers