Packers WR Donald Driver Willing To Take A Pay Cut To Stay In Green Bay

Kareem Copeland of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reports that Packers WR Donald Driver is willing to take a pay cut to remain with the team in 2012.

“The organization knows what I’ve done on and off the field, and they want to keep me around as long as possible,” Driver told WISN-TV, via the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “If that means sitting down and taking pay cuts to stay around, then you take pay cuts to stay around. I’ve always said it’s not about the money for me anymore. What I’m pushing for is for my legacy to stay around in the state of Wisconsin and around the world forever. So the money’s not a big issue.”

Driver, 37, will have a $2.2 million roster bonus due in a matter a of weeks on top of his $2.6 million base salary. The problem here is that the Packers are deep at the position after draft Randall Cobb and re-signing James Jones last year but to make matters worse, the team has been stashing two young receivers in Tori Gurley and Shaky Smithson. Yes, the Packers could use the cap space but at this point they could use the roster spot more as they’re likely to lose one or both of their young receivers if they don’t give them a roster spot next year. Both players have received offers from other team’s but have chose to remain with the Packers on their practice squad.

Considering the circumstance, I’d expect the Packers to move on without Driver but he has been a very important figure to their franchise so that’s worth something.