This offseason, the Packers made RB Aaron Jones an unrestricted free agent. The veteran signed with the Minnesota Vikings. Green Bay signed RB Josh Jacobs to a four-year, $48 million contract to replace Jones. Jacobs spent the first five seasons of his career with the Raiders. He is now the Packers’ starting RB.
Behind Jacobs is RB AJ Dillion, a second-round pick by Green Bay out of Boston College in 2020. The 26-year-old has appeared in 60 games for the Packers, with 11 starts. For the second time in eight months, Dillon is dealing with a neck injury. Dillon hasn’t practiced all week, and head coach Mike LeFleur told the media he’s being “careful” with his backup RB.
Will AJ Dillon be ready for the start of the 2024 season?
Packers HC Matt LaFleur on AJ Dillon’s injury:
“We’ll have to wait. We’ll have to wait until we get some more opinions.”
— Jason B. Hirshhorn (@by_JBH) August 22, 2024
AJ Dillon has been the Packers’ backup RB for the past four seasons. His six starts in 2023 were the longest of his career. The former second-round pick isn’t known for his blazing speed and dexterity. Rather, Dillon is a power back who can get tough yards and doesn’t get knocked down on first contact. With the Packers’ regular season opener just two weeks away, the team is “carefully” handling Dillon. The last thing they want is for Dillon to start the season on PUP and miss time. He missed Green Bay’s joint practice with the Detroit Lions this week.
AJ Dillon played in Green Bay’s first preseason game and carried the ball just four times. However, Dillon did not play in the Packers’ second preseason game against Denver. This led the media to believe that Dillon had secured a roster spot and was being loaned out along with other key players. That may be true, but he is also sidelined by a neck injury. In the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Packers drafted RB Marshawn Lloyd out of USC. Unfortunately, Lloyd has been dealing with an injury of his own, keeping him and AJ Dillon off the field in practice this week. Not ideal for the Packers, who have been playing RBs on a committee team under Matt LeFleur.
