It’s been reported that Donald Driver (WR, #80) has signed a contract extension keeping him in Green and Gold (literally) until 2009. The deal is reportedly worth $17 million over the remaining 4 years of his contract.

If heart and determination were what got you paid in the NFL, double D would be getting Rod Tidwell Javon Walker money right now (roughly double what double D is getting).

Driver’s base salary this year will actually go down, but his 2007 base pay was bumped almost $1M, with 2008 adding $200 large to his base pay, and 2009 growing to $3.9M I’m hoping there are some added bonuses in the early years to make up for the pay, as it seems so often the contracts are backloaded, only to have the player get cut before the big money would start rolling in.

Driver’s story is a compelling one, going from stealing cars to a chance encounter with a woman that gave him safe harbor from the police long enough for him to get the threads on his neck straight, allowing him to screw his head on nice and tight. He’s a good guy and a good ambassador for the Packers.

Glad to see he’ll be around for awhile.

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