Bills won't release Boldin after failing to find trade partner

It appears Anquan Boldin has two choices after the Bills failed to find a trade partner for the receiver before Tuesday's deadline: stay retired or play for Buffalo. At least, that's what general manager Brandon Beane says.

Beane said Tuesday that Boldin - who retired in August after signing a one-year deal with the Bills, but then decided he wanted to resume his career elsewhere Oct. 26 - won't be released outright in order to keep him away from Buffalo's competitors.

"We made a commitment to Anquan, and he made a commitment to us back in (training) camp," Beane told SiriusXM NFL Radio, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN. "He left for the reasons he mentioned back in August. We invested in him - invested time and committed to him - and we wouldn't want to just put him out on the market to see him go sign with the Patriots or the Dolphins or anybody that can get in our way or work against us."

Asked what he expects the 37-year-old pass-catcher to do now, Beane said, "I think he'll stay retired."

The Bills gave Boldin permission to speak to other teams "for the sole purpose of discussing a trade for Anquan."

Boldin could still return to Buffalo, but the team would likely struggle to find a role for him after trading for Kelvin Benjamin in a last-minute blockbuster move prior to the deadline.

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