Don’t look now, but Anquan Boldin is once again letting it be known that he is a very unhappy camper in the Valley. Despite the fact his team came up with a spirited 41-21 victory on the road against the Bears, the veteran Cardinals receiver couldn’t have been unhappier after learning that he would be deactivated for the game. Fueling Boldin’s anger was his claim that nobody from the Cardinals was “man enough” to tell him that he would not be active for the game.

Boldin did meet face to face with Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt following Whisenhunt’s last-minute decision to bench the three-time Pro Bowler because he felt the risk of further aggravating Boldin’s injured right ankle was too great on the loose and uneven Soldier Field turf. According to a few witnesses, Boldin never looked his head coach in the eye and was clearly sulking over the decision. One unnamed player told the Arizona Republic that he was very surprised Boldin would express such dismay after such a solid victory, but Boldin’s sour mood was no different than the one he displayed after the Cardinals' victory in the NFC championship game. Boldin got into it with then-offensive coordinator Todd Haley late in that game regarding his usage down the stretch.

PFW spin

Can we say once and for all that enough is enough with Boldin already? That seemed to be the consensus among team insiders following another extremely selfish display from a player who continues to increase the likelihood that he won’t be back with the Cardinals after this season. It’s not a stretch to say that Boldin’s acrimonious contract situation with the Cardinals is at the root of his latest unhappiness. To his credit, Boldin had opted not to make his contract such an open issue this season, like he did the first half of last season. But it just seems that, after all is said and done, Boldin has a knack for making his unhappiness over his contract known, usually at the most inopportune times. After his latest ill-timed hissy-fit, it has become clear to everybody close to the team that, as good a receiver as he is when fully healthy, he has become too big a distraction to keep around for the long term.

A major reason for this feeling is the following factoid: In games Boldin has missed the past two seasons, Arizona’s record is now a very impressive 5-1. Interestingly, in those same games, fellow WR Larry Fitzgerald has stepped up his game with nine touchdowns. Against the Bears, the Cardinals looked extremely sharp despite Boldin’s absence.

“I feel like this is the first week we’ve really been able to click on all cylinders, with the run game and throwing the ball deep,” said Cardinals C Lyle Sendlein. “It was definitely a lot of fun today.”

Joining in the fun was second-year WR Early Doucet, who caught four passes for 31 yards and appears to be developing into more of a factor along with No. 3 WR Steve Breaston to make the Cardinals feel comfortable enough to consider life without Boldin.

“I was really excited about the way Early played Sunday,” Whisenhunt said in his Monday press briefing. “I think it really gave him confidence, and it was nice to see from a player who is starting to show progress.”

As for Boldin, Whisenhunt took the high road in his press briefing.

"I actually like to see that,” he said of Boldin’s angry reaction to not playing. “”It’s good that he wants to play so badly. We all know how competitive a player Anquan is, and I have no issues with that whatsoever.”

That said, Boldin’s issues have become detrimental enough to make it more than a little likely he will be on another team in 2010.