BILLS

BILLS

Anquan Boldin retires after 14 NFL seasons

Anquan Boldin didn’t decide overnight he was going to quit football in order to speak out against longstanding concerns over inequality in America.

The recent deadly and racially charged conflict in Charlottesville, Va., did, however, become the tipping point that caused Boldin to reassess his priorities and led to the Buffalo Bills receiver’s decision to retire after 14 NFL seasons.

“I think anybody with any sense can see how divided we are as a country, and Charlottesville only magnified what we were already seeing,” Boldin told The Associated Press by phone Monday.

He was disturbed by the hateful messages directed at African-Americans, Jewish people and the LGBT community during a rally involving neo-Nazis and other right-wing groups in which a counter-protester was killed and two Virginia state police officers died on Aug. 13.

“That’s not the America that I want to live in,” he said. “And I think the only way that this America changes is that we as a people stand up and change it.”

Boldin spoke a day after abruptly informing the Bills he was retiring some two weeks after signing a one-year contract with a base salary of $1.75 million.

Broncos

Siemian wins starting quarterback job, again

Vance Joseph was admittedly enamored of the idea of a towering, chuck-it-or-tuck-it quarterback with first-round pedigree and a lightning bolt for a right arm leading the Denver Broncos in 2017.

Even more captivating for the rookie head coach was the notion of his egghead seventh-rounder with the sneaky fastball and penchant for making the right decisions calling the signals.

So, it’s Trevor Siemian and not Paxton Lynch who will start for the Broncos.

Joseph made the announcement Monday following a five-month audition that represented the biggest position battle in the NFL this offseason.

Joseph suggested Lynch may still represent the future in Denver, but with a team that’s just 18 months removed from a championship parade and so good on defense, he had to think about today, not tomorrow.

So, Siemian is his guy.

Just as he was Gary Kubiak’s choice a year ago.

“It’s all about performance, not potential,” Joseph said. “And Trevor is ready to lead our football team. We’ve got two receivers that are All-Pro caliber, we’ve got a great backfield, we’ve fixed the offensive line. So, we need a guy who can operate at a high level all the time.”

league

EA, NFL announce Madden competition

NFL fans and gamers can play their way to the Super Bowl — if they’re good enough at the newest edition of “Madden NFL 18.”

Electronic Arts and the NFL on Monday announced they’re teaming up to create an online tournament involving all 32 teams .

It makes the NFL the first pro sports league in the U.S. to commit all of its teams to a competitive gaming program, and a massive esports competition.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell calls competitive gaming and esports “one of the most exciting ways to engage a larger, younger and digitally savvy NFL audience.” EA CEO Andrew Wilson says his company and the NFL are taking their partnership “to an unprecedented level.”

Chris Halpin, the NFL’s chief strategy officer and senior vice president for consumer products, says esports competitors generally are difficult to reach via traditional media.

“It’s great that they have an affinity for football, but we’ve got to make sure we’re engaging them on the new platforms,” Halpin said.

The Madden NFL Club Championship is open to any player with an online account and the game being released Tuesday on Xbox One and Playstation 4.

Associated Press