Green Bay Packers will have a few pending free agents in the spring and one of those names is running back AJ Dillon. Dillon is 25 years old and he missed both playoff games due to injury. He doesn’t feel like he is a starting running back, but he feels like a quality number-two running back.
Dillon during the regular season rushed for 613 yards on 178 carries and two touchdowns. He averaged 3.4 yards per carry. Dillon also caught 22 passes for 223 yards receiving and zero touchdowns. He averaged 10.1 yards per carry.
With the way Aaron Jones played over the last five weeks, it feels like there may be no need to keep Dillon because Jones rushed for over 100 yards per game. Another thing to keep in mind is Green Bay may want to make personnel changes in the backfield next year anyway.
Jones will have one more season left on his contract. He is 29 years old.
The Green Bay Packers Should Move on From AJ Dillon
One of the reasons why Green Bay should move on from Dillon is not because of his play, but they can upgrade with someone in the NFL Draft behind Aaron Jones. Another thing to consider here is Jones’s injury history this season.
If Aaron Jones were to go down in training camp, would Packers fans really be pumped up about AJ Dillon being the starting running back or would they be more excited about a rookie potentially starting like Blake Corum from Michigan for example?
These are some of the things that general manager Brian Gutekunst needs to consider. They will probably use a couple of 2024 NFL Draft picks on running backs, like they did with wide receivers a season ago. Emanuel Wilson and Patrick Taylor Jr. also don’t feel like the long-term answer as the second running back.
AJ Dillon doesn’t have much more of a high ceiling. They need to get someone in the backfield with a higher ceiling to work in slowly with Aaron Jones as the starter next season.
