Shortly after agreeing to terms with the Buffalo Bills, veteran wide receiver Anquan Boldin surprised everyone by abruptly announcing his retirement recently.

Boldin may have been content with his decision to walk away from the game, but the soon-to-be 37-year-old may be having second thoughts. Apparently, Boldin is intrigued by the prospect of joining the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.

In light of Edelman’s injury, a league source said the Patriots and recently retired Anquan Boldin had mutual interest in bringing Boldin to New England this offseason, and he remains intrigued by the possibility.

The Patriots could use another veteran presence in the passing game with Boldin seemingly an ideal fit. New England has had a lot of success with wide receivers of Boldin's caliber while in the twilight of their careers.

Unfortunately for New England, it may not be an easy to get Boldin on their roster, via Volin.

Boldin signed with the Bills, and was placed on Buffalo’s reserve/retired list Aug. 22. That means the Bills retain his rights, and they would need to release him in order to let him sign with the Patriots. That sort of cooperation from a division rival doesn’t seem likely.

With the Bills and Patriots being bitter rivals, the prospect of Buffalo doing New England any favors seems unlikely has Volin points. However, anything can happen and Boldin extending his career catching passes from Tom Brady could become a reality if something can be worked out by the two teams.