Boldin was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft, and played for the team until being traded to the Baltimore Ravens in 2010. On March 12, 2013, Boldin was traded to the San Francisco 49ers. He played college football for Florida State.

Boldin was named the 2003 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Boldin established the Anquan Boldin Foundation aka Q81 Foundation in 2004. The Foundation is dedicated to expanding the educational and life opportunities of underprivileged children and has a track record for sustaining programs in multiple cities. In May, 2012, Boldin and former Cardinals teammate Larry Fitzgerald went to Ethiopia, where they volunteered to move rocks to create arable land.