Linebacker will replace Briggs or Matthews
Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo didn’t realize the significance at first. When Chicago reached the NFC Championship game, joining Green Bay, it meant one thing for Orakpo: a trip to the Pro Bowl.
As a first alternate, Orakpo earned a spot because two of the linebackers in the game will be playing Sunday — the Bears’ Lance Briggs and the Packers’ Clay Matthews. And that means one of them will be playing in the Super Bowl, thereby being unavailable to play in the Pro Bowl in Hawaii the week before the championship game.
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That opened a spot for Orakpo, who now has two Pro Bowl berths in his first two seasons. Orakpo said he didn’t realize he had earned a spot until he was told by his agent and the Redskins public relations staff. The NFL, which hasn’t officially told Orakpo of his honor, will announce any changes to the roster after this weekend’s championship games.
He’ll join cornerback DeAngelo Hall as the Redskins’ lone representatives. Orakpo finished the season with 8? sacks, giving him 19? in his first two pro seasons.
“I’ll take it,” Orakpo said. “I would love to have made it [in December], but I’m two for two right now in the NFL and it can only get better. … I can’t ask for a better start to my career than to be selected twice and get all these sacks and accolades. I would love to be winning but that will come in the future.”
