Anquan Boldin isn't ready to confirm Saturday's report that he rejected the Baltimore Ravens' proposal for a reduced salary, but he's no longer entertaining the idea of retirement if he's released.
"When I signed with the Ravens, I signed for four years," Boldin told USA Today on Saturday. "With me, it's all about principles. At no point, no matter how well I played, would I come back to the table and say, 'I need more money.'"
Boldin emphasized that he "loves everything about the Ravens," but will have to talk and pray with his family about the next step he takes if the team reportedly follows through on its threat to cut him loose.
"I know how the Ravens feel about me, from a coaching standpoint, from an organizational standpoint, from guys in the locker room," Boldin said. "But sometimes the business side doesn't express that."
Since the Ravens' reported restructure proposal includes a reduction in pay without an extension, Boldin reportedly is preparing to become a free agent on Tuesday. In fact, a league source told The Baltimore Sun that Boldin already has prepared a statement thanking Ravens fans for their support.
Although there is time for the relationship to be salvaged before the start of the free-agent signing period Tuesday, The Sun report said the Ravens still have designs on releasing Boldin if there's no breakthrough in negotiations.
UPDATE: Citing a source with knowledge of the situation, ProFootballTalk reported on Saturday that Boldin's chances of staying with the Ravens are "50-50." An obviously torn Boldin has expressed sentiments that don't mesh with those of sourced reports, raising suspicion that his agent wants him to hit the market in search of a better deal.
Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.
