Donald Driver volunteers for role on special teams

Donald Driver doesn’t want to see his career end watching the game – all of it – from the sideline.

So, the 37-year-old wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers has volunteered for duty on special teams for Saturday’s divisional round playoff game at San Francisco.

Driver was inactive during the team’s wild-card victory last weekend over the Minnesota Vikings. According to Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Driver has been inactive in four of the previous six games. He would like to play this week.

“I said, 'I'd like to play special teams if you guys need me,' " Driver said. "The thing is when you've played this long in your career, they don't think that a veteran guy wants to play because sometimes it's like a kick in the . . . I didn't think that. I didn't think that at all.
"I looked at it as an opportunity to play and have fun. That's what I want to do. I asked them and they said, 'Sure.' I'm back on it. We'll see. We'll see."

Driver has not caught a pass in two months and he’s been a role player throughout even as injuries tested the club’s depth at wide receiver. But he wants to be a part of the action.

"I think I will be activated," he said. "We'll see."

It is a difficult situation. Driver has been a professional throughout his career. But wide receivers at the bottom of the depth chart must be major contributors on special teams. It’s hard to envision Driver inheriting a “major” role in just a week. Could he help out? Sure. Would he be a feared special teams performer? No. We’ll see what happens.

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune