Last offseason, the Green Bay Packers made some pretty surprising decisions regarding their running back room. First, they signed one of the most coveted names on the market, Josh Jacobs, to a four-year contract. Hours later, they announced the released of Aaron Jones, who is Green Bay’s third all-time leading rusher. And while it was sad to see Jones go, it was easy to see that Jacobs was (and is) an upgrade at the position, evidenced by his 301 rushes for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024.
But while adding Jacobs and releasing Jones was surprising, it was, by no means, the most intriguing move the Packers made at running back. Despite having a promising young player at the position in Emanuel Wilson, the team re-signed AJ Dillon to an extremely team-friendly deal and drafted Marshawn Lloyd out of USC in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Green Bay Packers Did Not Have the Running Back Battle They Thought They Would
Heading into training camp last year, many fans expected Dillon, Wilson, and Lloyd to battle it out for the second and third string running back jobs behind Jacobs. Some thought that Dillon would win the battle, with Lloyd getting the third-string role, while Wilson would be cut and re-signed to the practice squad.
Of course, that is not how it played out at all. Lloyd dealt with injuries throughout training camp and preseason and was not healthy to start the regular season. When he did finally make his NFL debut, he suffered a sprained ankle that kept him out for weeks. And when he was ready to come back from that, a bout of appendicitis ended his year.
Dillon, meanwhile, suffered his second neck injury in nine months in a preseason game, forcing Green Bay to place him on season-ending injured reserve when they had to trim their roster to 53 players.
AJ Dillon’s Time with the Green Bay Packers May Be Over After Emanuel Wilson Was Tendered a Contract
Mark Hoffman
By default, Wilson was the Packers backup running back in 2024, and he performed extremely well. Playing in all 17 games, the former undrafted free agent rushed 103 times for 502 yards and four touchdowns. He also added 11 receptions for 44 yards and another touchdown.
Wilson obviously performed well enough for Green Bay to tender him a contract as an exclusive rights free agent. In short, this ensures that he will be back with the Packers in 2025.
This decision, unfortunately, means that Dillon’s time with the Packers has likely come to an end. Lloyd, after all, will hopefully be healthy enough to play next season and, as a top-100 draft pick, will be given the inside track at a spot on the 53-man roster.
To put it plainly, there just is not room on the team for Dillon, who has expressed his desire to remain in Green Bay this year if possible.
It just not seem like it will be.
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