If reports are true, we have one last KUUUUUUUHHHHHNNNNN
Saying goodbye to John KUUUUHHHHNNNN
Over the past couple of offseasons, much of the speculation in Green Bay centered around whether the Packers would finally cut ties with 10-year veteran John Kuhn.
But then he comes back … and continues to produce.
He’s been such a value to the team that Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy have always found a way to bring him back …
Until this offseason.
It’s finally time for John Kuhn and the Packers to come to terms … with those terms being an agreement to allow him to step aside and let the new era begin.
The newest era will involve Aaron Ripkowski, the fullback drafted in 2015 … an interesting prospect whose time has finally come.
After getting minimum playing time last season, it’s time to allow him to hit the field and show what he can do.
While that is what the Packers should do, one never knows what’s going to transpire over the course of the next couple of months. It’s not entirely impossible that Green Bay somehow, someway brings Kuhn back into the fold for another season.
However, it’s also very possible that the Packers finally say goodbye.
Kuhn is one of the several free agents who are still unsigned with not teams showing a real interest.
The Packers could probably get Kuhn back into camp for a song, but would it be the right thing to do … for Kuhn … for the team … and especially for Ripkowski?
Should Green Bay finally decide they were finally moving on from Kuhn, it will be a sad day indeed. How many times have we heard the Kuuuuuuhhhhhhnnnnnn call during Packers games, usually following him picking up a fourth and one or third and two with a quick explosion into the middle of the line?
How many times have we seen Kuhn blow up a linebacker at the line of scrimmage to give another running back a hold to slip through into the second level?
How can we possibly ever forget the chip block he put on Julius Peppers when the linebacker played for Chicago in that Week 17 game the Packers won on the fourth and 8 play pass from Aaron Rodgers to Randall Cobb?
That play is on loop in my brain every time I think of Kuhn.
He’s a Super Bowl champion who has had a heck of a lot more big plays than bad plays over the past decade.
He is the epitome of a Green Bay Packer … hard-nosed, talented and good natured.
Yes, I would love to see him once again in the Packers backfield, but Father Time — and Ted Thompson — will surely have something say about that possibility.
Because the National Football League is a young man’s game, there needs to be players on the roster who fit that mold. John Kuhn, in football years, is an old guy. Yes, he’s a Pro-Bowler; he’s a highly popular soul in Green Bay and he’s a champion.
For all of us there may be a couple of tears shed if and when the Packers announce that they will not bring him back.
John Kuhn’s career statistics
| Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Tm | G | GS | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | Y/A | Y/G | A/G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Lng | R/G | Y/G | YScm | RRTD | Fmb |
| 2006 | PIT | 9 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 16 | 9.0 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 0 | 15 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | GNB | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | 0 | 5 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2008 | GNB | 16 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 7 | 4 | 21 | 5.3 | 2 | 13 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 31 | 3 | 0 |
| 2009 | GNB | 14 | 6 | 8 | 18 | 1 | 5 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 7 | 7 | 47 | 6.7 | 2 | 14 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 65 | 3 | 0 |
| 2010 | GNB | 16 | 2 | 84 | 281 | 4 | 18 | 3.3 | 17.6 | 5.3 | 18 | 15 | 97 | 6.5 | 2 | 12 | 0.9 | 6.1 | 378 | 6 | 1 |
| 2011* | GNB | 16 | 3 | 30 | 78 | 4 | 12 | 2.6 | 4.9 | 1.9 | 18 | 15 | 77 | 5.1 | 2 | 11 | 0.9 | 4.8 | 155 | 6 | 1 |
| 2012 | GNB | 14 | 3 | 23 | 63 | 1 | 9 | 2.7 | 4.5 | 1.6 | 18 | 15 | 148 | 9.9 | 0 | 32 | 1.1 | 10.6 | 211 | 1 | 0 |
| 2013 | GNB | 15 | 6 | 10 | 38 | 1 | 12 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 19 | 13 | 81 | 6.2 | 0 | 20 | 0.9 | 5.4 | 119 | 1 | 2 |
| 2014*+ | GNB | 16 | 2 | 24 | 85 | 1 | 11 | 3.5 | 5.3 | 1.5 | 4 | 4 | 23 | 5.8 | 0 | 9 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 108 | 1 | 0 |
| 2015* | GNB | 16 | 6 | 9 | 28 | 2 | 5 | 3.1 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 10 | 6 | 56 | 9.3 | 0 | 19 | 0.4 | 3.5 | 84 | 2 | 0 |
| Career | 148 | 32 | 198 | 619 | 15 | 18 | 3.1 | 4.2 | 1.3 | 105 | 82 | 572 | 7.0 | 8 | 32 | 0.6 | 3.9 | 1191 | 23 | 4 | |
| 9 yrs | GNB | 139 | 32 | 196 | 601 | 15 | 18 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 1.4 | 104 | 81 | 557 | 6.9 | 8 | 32 | 0.6 | 4.0 | 1158 | 23 | 4 |
| 1 yr | PIT | 9 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 16 | 9.0 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 0 | 15 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 33 | 0 | 0 |
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/3/2016.
And though I personally don’t relish that day, I and you both know it’s coming … and probably coming sooner than we expect.
So, let’s give a shoutout to John Kuhn for all he has meant to this franchise. Let’s allow him to ride off into the Packers sunset like so many before him and let’s usher in a new era with Aaron Ripkowski.
In honor of Kuhn, it would be great if we could come up with a similar mantra for Ripkowski …
How about “Skiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!”
John Kuhn highlights
But before we do that, let’s have another one for John Kuhn …
Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!