GREEN BAY — With their two highest-profile players — quarterback Aaron Rodgers and outside linebacker Clay Matthews — missing much of the season with injuries, the Green Bay Packers do not have a single player headed to the Pro Bowl for the first time since 2005, when they went an anemic 4-12 in coach Mike Sherman's final season.
The teams, which are no longer divided by conference, were announced on the NFL Network Friday night.
Only rookie running back Eddie Lacy managed to earn a first alternate slot. He enters Sunday's regular-season finale against the Chicago Bears having carried 263 times for 1,112 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Lacy is eighth in the NFL in rushing yards and tied for third in the league in rushing touchdowns.
The running backs selected to the "unconferenced" rosters were Kansas City's Jamal Charles, Chicago's Matt Forte, San Francisco's Frank Gore, Seattle's Marshawn Lynch, Philadephia's LeSean McCoy and Minnesota's Adrian Peterson.
Seven other Packers were chosen as alternates, although none of them were first alternates: Rodgers, who has been selected to three previous Pro Bowls; Matthews, who was named to the NFC Pro Bowl team in each of his first four NFL seasons; fullback John Kuhn, guard Josh Sitton, wide receiver Jordy Nelson, and cornerbacks Sam Shields and Tramon Williams.
The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers placed a league-best eight players each in the Pro Bowl, which will be held the weekend before Super Bowl XLVIII.
As part of the new format, players will be assigned to teams through the Pro Bowl Draft, which will air on Jan. 22 on NFL Network. Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders will serve as alumni team captains for their Pro Bowl squads and be assisted by two active player captains and one NFL.com fantasy football champion in the draft process.
Jason Wilde  wrote: