Donald Driver Doesn't Expect Aaron Rodgers to Leave Packers After 2021

Donald Driver is a Green Bay Packer for life. He lined up outside the hashmarks for 12 years, catching passes from both Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers before playing a big part in the franchise's Super Bowl victory in 2010.

Driver retired in 2012 but has stayed a Packer fan. Speaking to The Big Lead on behalf of Master Lock's Community Champions Program, Driver said he was as shocked as anybody when the news first broke about the rift between Rodgers and the Packers back in April. But when asked if he had a destination in mind if Rodgers does ultimately leave the Packers after 2021, Driver expressed his belief that nobody expects him to leave.

"My first reaction was, I can't believe this is even true," Driver told The Big Lead. "But you think about your career, it becomes a business decision at the end of the day and I think Aaron was making this decision just like the organization is making one. At the end of the day, as we all know, it's gonna all fall down to what the organization wants to do, whatever it wants to do. Now he's back in Green Bay and so we're excited about what this season's gonna hold.

"I don't think anyone expects him to leave. So I think we’ll all sit back and watch to try to figure out what happens next."

On Driver's part, he thinks the season will hold big things. He firmly sees the Packers as a Super Bowl contender and that this year is the year Rodgers finally gets over the NFC Championship Game hump and makes it back to the Big Game for the first time since Driver was suiting up next to him.

"They lost two championship games back to back. But there's always the third one that always gets you over that hill. It's always a missing piece that makes it work. And there's a missing play that can cost. Those are the things that we got to fix to get back to where we were back in 2011.

"I know that's what he wants because it's always great to have one ring, but it's great to have multiple. And we all know that there's a lot of guys out there, they got multiple rings, especially one quarterback that has seven. It's a great opportunity for Aaron to get another one and to continue his career."

Driver went on to make his bold Super Bowl pick (Packers vs. Jets) and that the Browns are the biggest dark horse contender in the NFL. But he wasn't hesitant to share his passion for Master Lock's work in the community.

In April, Master Lock launched the Community Champions program, aimed at highlighting unheralded difference-makers in communities around the country in celebration of the company's 100-year anniversary. With a deadline of September 1, anyone can submit stories exhibiting the good will of such individuals in their own community and Master Lock will recognize community role models who go above and beyond for a chance to win big prizes.

Driver first got involved with Master Lock during the 2010 Super Bowl and has been a part of their community outreach ever since.

"This is a great program that I'm glad to represent in so many different ways. I've always realized that you have to be willing to give back to individuals and also into the community. Master Lock said, hey, listen, let’s help recognize and reward people that are making a difference in their community.

We want those people that feel that someone is making a difference in their community every single day, but don't get recognized. And sometimes that's what happens when you have a celebrity, our football player, we get recognized on the global level every single day for what we do. But we want those individuals that don't to get recognized now, and that's what Master Lock is doing, is providing for those individuals. That could be a teacher that goes that extra mile, right? That could be a mother, father, a kid, that wants to provide food for the homeless, I know what that feels like to be homeless. That could be a military veteran mentoring at-risk youth, letting them know what they've been through and how they survived it. So those are the things that we want to recognize in our communities."

To enter, visit masterlock.com/100-years/community-champions.