John Kuhn in line for 3rd Pro Bowl
John Kuhn is in line to earn a trip to his second consecutive Pro Bowl, and the third of his career.
The Green Bay Packers fullback was named the first alternate for the Pro Bowl this season. He’ll be promoted after Oakland Raiders fullback Marcel Reece received a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
The suspension makes Reece ineligible for the Pro Bowl.
The Packers had three players elected to the Pro Bowl: quarterback Aaron Rodgers, left guard Josh Sitton and inside linebacker Clay Matthews. Kuhn would give them a fourth.
Kuhn has become an increasingly important player for the Packers as they’ve tried to fully commit to their running game. He played a career-high 47 snaps against the Oakland Raiders two weeks ago, surpassing his previous career high of 45 set the prior week against the Dallas Cowboys.
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His 23.3 percent of offensive snaps played are slightly more than 20.5 percent of snaps he played last season.
Kuhn has 25 rushing yards on eight carries this season, including two rushing touchdowns. He’s also caught four passes for 42 yards. Half of his 12 touches this season have come in the past three weeks.
Kuhn ran twice for 31 yards in last season’s Pro Bowl, including a 29-yard run. He also caught two passes for 13 yards. His lone other Pro Bowl appearance came in 2011.
Of course, Kuhn would prefer not to play in the Pro Bowl. Players from the NFC and AFC champion teams are ineligible because the Pro Bowl comes one week before the Super Bowl.
rwood@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @ByRyanWood