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Driver says he’s hanging up the spikes

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After 14-seasons in the NFL, all with the Green Bay Packers, wide receiver Donald

Donald Driver

Donald Driver

Driver said he is “hanging up his spikes.”

Driver made the announcement on ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike show this morning.  He’ll make the official announcement with the Packers next Wednesday, during a ticketed ceremony at Lambeau Field next Wednesday.

AUDIO: Driver said it’s a tough call :10

The 37-year old Driver is Green Bay’s all-time leading receiver in receptions and yards and has a Super Bowl Championship to boot.

Driver said his family helped him make this decision.

AUDIO: Donald Driver on the deciding factor :16

Driver was a 7th round pick out of Alcorn State in 1999.  He finished last season with just 8 catches for 77 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Driver’s 10,137 career receiving yards ranks No. 1 in franchise history.  His 743 receptions also ranks #1.

Driver leaning toward retirement

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There’s a report today by the USA Today that Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald

Donald Driver

Donald Driver

Driver is leaning towards retirement and a final decision could come as early as next week.

Driver turns 38 the day before the Super Bowl.  He’s the team’s all-time leader in receptions with 743 and receiving yards with 10,137.  He has 61 career touchdowns.

Driver caught just two passes in the final two months of the season.

 

Saturday’s loss could be it for Driver & Jennings in Green Bay

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As the Green Bay Packers’ cleaned out their lockers at Lambeau Field on Sunday, the players knew that for some, it would be the last time they’d

Donald Driver

Donald Driver

be going through the season ending routine in the spacious Packers locker room.

For 37-year-old Donald Driver, a decision on retirement has to come first.  Does he want to play on or is he content with 14 NFL seasons, all with the Green Bay Packers.

AUDIO: Donald Driver on his future :13

Driver hasn’t factored into the Packers offensive game plan for much of the season.  He caught just 8 passes for 77 yards and 2 touchdowns.

AUDIO: Donald Driver says it’s been a tough year :15

Driver is the franchise’s all-time leading receiver, catching 743 passes for 10,137 yards and 85 touchdowns.  Yet based on his usage this season, it’s unlikely that the Packers would ask him to come back.  So now he has to contemplate whether he wants to play for another team if the opportunity arises, or call it quits. [Read more…]

Boykin ready for opportunity this Sunday

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Jarrett Boykin practices

Albert Einstein once said, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”  With Greg Jennings out, Jordy Nelson questionable, and Donald Driver probable, Green Bay Packers wideout Jarrett Boykin looks to have found his opportunity and feels prepared for it.

AUDIO: Boykin on opportunity this Sunday :09

AUDIO: Boykin on training camp vs now :08

Boykin, an undrafted rookie from Virginia Tech, led the Packers in receptions this preseason and was signed to the roster, but has not seen action yet.

Boykin was originally signed by Jacksonville, but waived three days later.

When asked if this game meant a little more because of the history, Boykin said it adds a little more, but it is not his main focus.

AUDIO: Boykin on history with Jacksonville :10

Boykin, the all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards at Virginia Tech, said he did not have a preference where he lined up as a wide receiver.

AUDIO: Boykin on WR preference :10

Boykin and the injury filled Packers look to take down the Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday.

Jennings opts for surgery

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After a month of dealing with a nagging groin injury, Green Bay Packers wide

Greg Jennings

receiver Greg Jennings sought a second opinion. 

During a consultation with specialist Dr. William Meyers (Philadelphia) on Wednesday, the Packers’ 7th year receiver was diagosed with a rectus abdominal tear and is opting for surgery.

AUDIO: Greg Jennings on going with surgery vs. injection treatment :14

Jennings initially suffered the injury near the end of the season opener against San Francisco at Lambeau Field.  Jennings has twice tried comebacks since, to no avail.

Nelson

The Packers may have to play Sunday’s game against Jacksonville without wide receiver Jordy Nelson.  He suffered a hamstring pull in practice on Wednesday and hasn’t practiced since.  Mike McCarthy said for now, they’ll try to test Nelson Saturday or Sunday.

If Nelson can’t play on Sunday, Randall Cobb and James Jones would go into the game as the top two receivers.  It would mean increased playing time for veteran Donald Driver, who is playing in his 200th career game, as well as rookie Jarrett Boykin.

B.J. Raji

Nose tackle B.J. Raji practiced in pads on Thursday and coach Mike McCarthy thought he looked good.  Raji missed the last two games with an ankle injury.

 

Driver looks to hit milestone this Sunday

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Driver looks to play in his 200th NFL game this Sunday

Donald Driver has a career spanning 14 seasons with the Green Bay Packers and this Sunday, he looks to play his 200th game when the Packers host Jacksonville.

AUDIO: Driver on 200th NFL game :13

Driver’s status is uncertain at the moment due to stiffness in his neck.  He was held out of practice on Wednesday.

AUDIO: Driver on stiffness in neck :14

If Driver can get healthy, he will join teammates Charles Woodson and Jeff Saturday, who entered the 200-game club earlier in the season.

Driver, who holds multiple franchise records for receptions, receiving yards, and number of 1,000 yard receiving seasons, has seen a diminished playing role, but says it’s not a bad thing.

AUDIO: Driver on low number of snaps :23

He says the support of the fans helped encourage his return for another season.

AUDIO: Driver returns for Super Bowl and fans :20

This is not the only big accomplishment Driver will experience this season, as he has been selected to be inducted into the Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame on December 8th.  Driver will join Jerry Rice, Willie Davis and several other big names in the Hall of Fame.

Packers find their defensive ways in win over Bears

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What a difference a week makes.  Last week, the Green Bay Packers defense

Clay Matthews

couldn’t stop the run and the secondary had a hard time defending Alex Smith and the San Francisco 49ers. 

But the Packers made some lineup changes and turned up the intensity, sacking Jay Cutler 7-times and intercepting him 4-times, on the way to a
23-10 Packers victory.

Clay Matthews sacked Cutler 3 1/2 times to give him 6 in the first two games of the season.

AUDIO: Clay Matthews asked how long it has been since they played like that :15

The Bears finished with just 168 yards of total offense and Jay Cutler’s passer rating was a dismal 28.2.  The more pressure the Packers put on Cutler, the more he tried to force balls, which led to turnovers. [Read more…]

Driver is miffed over reduced role

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Donald Driver put together a good training camp for the Green Bay Packers,

Donald Driver

then found himself playing the role of a spectator in Sunday’s season opening 30-22 loss to San Francisco.

Driver didn’t play until the final few plays when Greg Jennings suffered a groin injury.  He said that was difficult to stomach.

AUDIO: Driver said it’s tough when it happens :12

Driver said he didn’t even see a reduced role from last year coming.

AUDIO: Donald Driver said he never saw this day coming :13

The fact that Greg Jennings could be limited or out all together this week because of a groin injury could mean an expanded role for Driver.  He said he’ll maintain patience and wait for his opportunity. 

AUDIO: Driver said he’s not going to throw a tantrum :10

 

Packers veterans get some time off

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Sunday night’s training camp workout was a showcase opportunity for some of

Graham Harrell

the younger players on the Green Bay Packers roster.

A handful of veterans were given the night off which allowed players like Graham Harrell and wide receiver Diondre Borel to get some more legitimate reps.

AUDIO: Mike McCarthy said it was great work for the younger players :19

Aaron Rodgers, Donald Driver, Ryan Pickett, Jarrett Bush, Jeff Saturday, Charles Woodson, Anthony Hargrove, A.J. Hawk and Greg Jennings were all off.  Jennings would have missed anyway because of a concussion.  John Kuhn could have taken the day off, but given the fact that he just returned to practice, he decided to work anyway.

 

Rodgers says Packers will have some tough decisions

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Just like head coach Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers believes this 2012 team could be better than the

Aaron Rodgers

2011 version that finished 15-1 in the regular season. 

What that also means is that the Packers brass will have some real difficult decisions to make when it’s time to shape the final 53 man roster in a month.

AUDIO: Aaron Rodgers says the Packers will have some tough calls to make :22

The Packers will have some tough calls to make at wide receiver as well.  After Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and James Jones, do they hang on to veteran Donald Driver or go with some of their youth.  Tori Gurley and Diondre Borel have both performed well in camp and warrant a good hard look.  Driver restructured his contract in the offseason and has been rock solid in the first week of camp, proving so far that he has some fuel left in the tank.

AUDIO: Aaron Rodgers says game action will help decide what young players are for real :19

A wealth of players added on defense have also raised the energy level, something that a number of players have mentioned already and Rodgers re-iterated today.