Hines Ward vs. Donald Driver

[CubsBullsBucs]

Hines Ward played his entire 14 year career with Pittsburgh. He won 2 Super Bowl rings with the team. Once he realized the Steelers didn't need him any more, he retired, even though he still felt he had a little left in the tank.


Donald Driver has played his entire 14 year career with Green Bay. He won 1 Super Bowl ring with the team. Now, that he realizes the Packers don't need him anymore, there are already rumors of him going to other teams, like Minnesota. He still feels that he has a few years left in the tank.

So that leads me to my first question. If you were Driver, would you go the loyal Hines Ward route and retire, or do you go sign somewhere else? I don't want to bring up the whole issue of loyalty again, but I feel that if you have played your entire 14 year career with a team AND already have won a Super Bowl, there is no reason to go play somewhere else.

My Second question is: Who had a better career?

Receptions: 1000 vs. 743
Yards: 12,083 vs. 10,137
Touchdowns: 85 vs. 61
AVG: 12.1 vs. 13.6
Fumbles: 13 vs. 8

[NormSizedMidget]

Ward. By a lot.

It's up to DD. If he wants to go play somewhere else, it won't be a screw you. He's just not needed here. He had a whopping like 7 recs or some crap.

[hineswardfan]

Hmmmmmm...

[CubsBullsBucs]

Ward. By a lot.

It's up to DD. If he wants to go play somewhere else, it won't be a screw you. He's just not needed here. He had a whopping like 7 recs or some crap.

ya youre right bad word choice. ya i think its a good question

[NormSizedMidget]

ya youre right bad word choice. ya i think its a good question

I guess what I meant was when, if we they do part ways. I don't think it will be on bad terms at all.

That's all I meant. Was trying to get after you or anything.

[sep11ie]

I don't see how this is a question tbh.

[homestarunner93]

First, Ward is easily the better WR, even just in terms of catching the ball. When you figure in what a devastating blocker Ward was, it isn't even remotely close.

Second, I don't have a problem with DD leaving if he really thinks he can continue to play. "Loyalty" to one team is overrated. It's a business. If you can't make your living in one place, but have the ability and desire to do so in another, why not go someplace else?

[FortDetroit]

Why should he retire if he still wants to play? That's not selfish, that's just doing what you want to do that makes you happy. He doesn't owe the Packers anything, let alone avoiding something that would make him happy out of "loyalty" or whatever BS.

[neovenator250]

Ward easily. Especially with his blocking, as homie said. I like what Ward did in leaving when he still felt like he had a little more in him. He'd win 2 championships, so there wasn't THAT pressure to come back. This game is hard on the body. Better to leave with some left than to take more punishment that could permanently affect an aging body that isn't what it once was. Seems like he's enjoying his time on NBC anyway

[ring91013144043]

Hines Ward played his entire 14 year career with Pittsburgh. He won 2 Super Bowl rings with the team. Once he realized the Steelers didn't need him any more, he retired, even though he still felt he had a little left in the tank.


Donald Driver has played his entire 14 year career with Green Bay. He won 1 Super Bowl ring with the team. Now, that he realizes the Packers don't need him anymore, there are already rumors of him going to other teams, like Minnesota. He still feels that he has a few years left in the tank.

So that leads me to my first question. If you were Driver, would you go the loyal Hines Ward route and retire, or do you go sign somewhere else? I don't want to bring up the whole issue of loyalty again, but I feel that if you have played your entire 14 year career with a team AND already have won a Super Bowl, there is no reason to go play somewhere else.

My Second question is: Who had a better career?

Receptions: 1000 vs. 743
Yards: 12,083 vs. 10,137
Touchdowns: 85 vs. 61
AVG: 12.1 vs. 13.6
Fumbles: 13 vs. 8

To answer your first question: Hines Ward didn't take the loyal route. He tested the market, and no one wanted him since it wasn't that the Steelers didn't need him, it was that he had no more left as a player. He could not get any sort of separation to speak of. No one wanted him because of this so he had no choice but to retire as a Steeler. It was the right thing to do and it seems like he realized that, it just took him longer than people assume since he didn't actually play for another team.

To answer your second question: It's Ward, and I'm glad everyone has said so and I don't seem like as much of a homer as usual. I still seem like one...just not as bad. Ward was put together a probable Hall of Fame career in the ultimate run first offense. Bill Cowher's philosophy was to keep pounding the rock. If it doesn't fit, get a hammer. If it still doesn't fit, get a bigger hammer. And despite this, Ward still put together four consecutive Pro Bowls and was possibly the greatest slot receiver in history. Far from the best pure receiver, but one of the best football players at the wide receiver position. And while Driver went from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers, Ward didn't have any sort of QB until Roethlisberger was drafted, and even then Roethlisberger didn't really break out until 2007, when Ward was 31 years old and well past his prime.

This is not a knock on Driver at all, but people need to stop looking at Ward's pure receiving stats as a means of evaluating him.

[Pinstripe power]

i would ahte to see DD in a viking suni, but if he wants to play thats his choice and nothing wrong with it.



i hate ward. i hate that stupid smug smile he has eveyr play, but he's better than driver

[NoUseForAName]

Ward, pretty easily IMO when considering his blocking abilities. Driver is one of my favorite players ever too.

[subroc]

You picked a couple good ones to compare. Similar length careers. Both played for their respective teams their entire careers.

But, all things considered, Hines Ward was the better player.

I expect the additional 2000 yards and the additional 24 TDs that Hines Ward has above Donald Driver is enough to draw that line in addition to who Drivers QBs were during his career.

As far as if Driver should try to play somewhere else, I believe his stats indicate he is clearly in decline. Showing up at some other teams camp to get cut as a final insult or just retire gracefully? In my view, he should just call it a day.

Driver:

<PRE>                                                                                                               
                                 Rece                            Rush                                          
Year     Age  Tm Pos No.   G  GS  Rec   Yds  Y/R TD Lng R/G  Y/G  Att Yds TD Lng  Y/A Y/G A/G  YScm RRTD Fmb AV
1999      24 GNB      80   6   0    3    31 10.3  1  12 0.5  5.2                                 31    1   0  0
2000      25 GNB  wr  80  16   2   21   322 15.3  1  49 1.3 20.1    1   4  0   4  4.0 0.3 0.1   326    1   0  3
2001      26 GNB  wr  80  13   2   13   167 12.8  1  37 1.0 12.8    3  38  1  31 12.7 2.9 0.2   205    2   0  2
2002*     27 GNB  WR  80  16  16   70  1064 15.2  9  85 4.4 66.5    8  70  0  17  8.8 4.4 0.5  1134    9   1 11
2003      28 GNB  WR  80  15  15   52   621 11.9  2  41 3.5 41.4    5  51  0  45 10.2 3.4 0.3   672    2   0  8
2004      29 GNB  WR  80  16  11   84  1208 14.4  9  50 5.3 75.5    3   4  0  14  1.3 0.3 0.2  1212    9   2 11
2005      30 GNB  WR  80  16  16   86  1221 14.2  5  59 5.4 76.3    2  13  0   9  6.5 0.8 0.1  1234    5   0 10
2006*     31 GNB  WR  80  16  16   92  1295 14.1  8  82 5.8 80.9    7  16  0  16  2.3 1.0 0.4  1311    8   1  9
2007*     32 GNB  WR  80  15  14   82  1048 12.8  2  47 5.5 69.9    2   4  0   5  2.0 0.3 0.1  1052    2   1 10
2008      33 GNB  WR  80  16  16   74  1012 13.7  5  71 4.6 63.3    2   4  0   6  2.0 0.3 0.1  1016    5   0  9
2009      34 GNB  WR  80  16  16   70  1061 15.2  6  71 4.4 66.3    1  13  0  13 13.0 0.8 0.1  1074    6   2 11
2010      35 GNB  WR  80  15  15   51   565 11.1  4  61 3.4 37.7                                565    4   1  5
2011      36 GNB  WR  80  16  15   37   445 12.0  6  35 2.3 27.8                                445    6   0  5
2012      37 GNB  wr  80  13   1    8    77  9.6  2  26 0.6  5.9                                 77    2   0  1
Career                   205 155  743 10137 13.6 61  85 3.6 49.4   34 217  1  45  6.4 1.1 0.2 10354   62   8 95
</PRE>

Ward:

<PRE>                                                                                                                 
                                 Rece                            Rush                                            
Year     Age  Tm Pos No.   G  GS  Rec   Yds  Y/R TD Lng R/G  Y/G  Att Yds TD Lng  Y/A  Y/G A/G  YScm RRTD Fmb  AV
1998      22 PIT      86  16   0   15   246 16.4  0  45 0.9 15.4    1  13  0  13 13.0  0.8 0.1   259    0   0   2
1999      23 PIT  WR  86  16  14   61   638 10.5  7  42 3.8 39.9    2  -2  0   3 -1.0 -0.1 0.1   636    7   1   7
2000      24 PIT  WR  86  16  15   48   672 14.0  4  77 3.0 42.0    4  53  0  23 13.3  3.3 0.3   725    4   2   7
2001*     25 PIT  WR  86  16  16   94  1003 10.7  4  34 5.9 62.7   10  83  0  36  8.3  5.2 0.6  1086    4   1  11
2002*     26 PIT  WR  86  16  16  112  1329 11.9 12  72 7.0 83.1   12 142  0  39 11.8  8.9 0.8  1471   12   1  12
2003*     27 PIT  WR  86  16  16   95  1163 12.2 10  50 5.9 72.7   11  61  0  25  5.5  3.8 0.7  1224   10   0  10
2004*     28 PIT  WR  86  16  16   80  1004 12.6  4  58 5.0 62.8    7  25  1  16  3.6  1.6 0.4  1029    5   1  11
2005      29 PIT  WR  86  15  15   69   975 14.1 11  85 4.6 65.0    3  10  0   7  3.3  0.7 0.2   985   11   1  11
2006      30 PIT  WR  86  14  14   74   975 13.2  6  70 5.3 69.6    2  30  0  21 15.0  2.1 0.1  1005    6   2   9
2007      31 PIT  WR  86  13  13   71   732 10.3  7  25 5.5 56.3    3  11  0   7  3.7  0.8 0.2   743    7   0   8
2008      32 PIT  WR  86  16  15   81  1043 12.9  7  49 5.1 65.2    1   4  0   4  4.0  0.3 0.1  1047    7   1   9
2009      33 PIT  WR  86  16  16   95  1167 12.3  6  54 5.9 72.9                                1167    6   2  10
2010      34 PIT  WR  86  16  15   59   755 12.8  5  43 3.7 47.2    1  -2  0  -2 -2.0 -0.1 0.1   753    5   1   7
2011      35 PIT  WR  86  15   9   46   381  8.3  2  31 3.1 25.4                                 381    2   1   3
Career                   217 190 1000 12083 12.1 85  85 4.6 55.7   57 428  1  39  7.5  2.0 0.3 12511   86  14 117
</PRE>

[FortDetroit]

^ he announced his retirement today.

[subroc]

^ he announced his retirement today.

Probably a good decision.

He is a he!! of a player.