Las Vegas Raiders Sign RB Brandon Bolden who previously played with the New England Patriots
Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler have gotten back their tried-and-trusted running back as the Las Vegas Raiders sign RB Brandon Bolden. The announcement was made official on Thursday.
Bolden, 32, joins the Silver and Black following eight seasons with the New England Patriots between 2012–2017 and 2019–2021, and one season with the Miami Dolphins in 2018. In his time with the Pats, he helped the team with eight postseason berths and two Super Bowl championships.
Raiders sign RB Brandon Bolden as a backup running back to starter Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake on third downs. After Patriots running back James White’s season-ending hip injury last year, Bolden was assigned to a change-of-pace role. In his 17 games played, he finished the 2021 season with 44 carries, 226 yards, and a rushing touchdown. He also caught 41 receptions on 49 targets for 405 yards with two receiving touchdowns.
Over the course of his career, the 5-foot-11, 220-pound running back has appeared in 131 games, accumulating 283 carries for 1,297 yards and 12 TDs, as well as 100 receptions for 902 yards and six TDs. Though he only has 9 starts in his career, Bolden has appeared in 17 postseason games while starting for two, tallying a combined total of 110 yards and a touchdown on 12 rushes and eight receptions.
“This is big for me,” said Bolden following the signing. “For those who don’t know, last year I changed my number from 38 to 25 to honor my grandfather.” Bolden’s grandfather, Frank Pitts, wore the number 25 when he played for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cleveland Browns. In his final season in 1974, he played for the Oakland Raiders and wore number 85, the same number Bolden chose as he became a Raider.
As the Las Vegas Raiders sign RB Brandon Bolden to a one-year deal, they have added running back and special teams depth, along with familiar chemistry with head coach Josh McDaniels.