There Really Isn't A Place For AJ Dillon In Green Bay's Rushing Attack

After years of NFL teams devaluing running backs, 2025 saw a massive pivot in the other direction.

Teams that didn't want to give their star running backs big paydays saw their former players carry their team to new heights.

Saquon Barkley was a legitimate MVP candidate and helped the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl. Derrick Henry joined Lamar Jackson, a pairing the rest of the league shouldn't have let happen, and helped the Baltimore Ravens’ offense soar.

The Green Bay Packers also got in on the action. It was sad seeing the Packers release Aaron Jones, who signed with the Minnesota Vikings. Still, Josh Jacobs was a godsend.

Green Bay got excellent value from Jacobs and its backups, Chris Brooks and Emanuel Wilson. That group returns in 2025, along with third-round rookie MarShawn Lloyd, a dynamic prospect who essentially redshirted the 2024 season.

It's safe to say running back is one position the Packers don't need to add. That's bad news for AJ Dillon, the odd man out after missing the 2024 season. The coaching staff and the fandom may love Dillon, but it would be shocking if he's in Green Bay next year.

The offensive coaching staff had big plans for Dillon in 2024 after he took a minimum offer to stay in Green Bay. Dillon got looks in free agency from other teams but chose to remain in the area he grew to love.

In late August, Dillon suffered a season-ending neck injury, dashing any hopes of seeing those plans.

In the interim, Green Bay had one of the league's best rushing attacks, mostly thanks to Jacobs but well supported by Brooks and Wilson. While the Packers previously had a dynamic rusher in Jones, they heavily monitored his usage to keep him fresh. It wasn't uncommon for Jones to disappear from the game thanks to orders from on high.

While Matt LaFleur occasionally moved away from the running game, he had no problems making Jacobs a bell-cow back.

Jacobs finished the regular season with 1,329 rushing yards and 15 TDs while adding 342 receiving yards and another touchdown. Green Bay's offensive line wasn't always great at run blocking. Still, Jacobs made the best of his opportunities and had some of the best yards-after-contact production in the league.

Wilson and Brooks complemented the rushing attack with 502 yards (four TDs) and 183 yards (one TD), respectively. Brooks was valuable as a blocker, and Wilson was one of the most improved players on the roster. Wide receiver Jayden Reed added another 163 rushing yards and a TD and will continue to get a few designed run plays.

That's a solid running back room, and that's before considering Lloyd.

While Jacobs is a bruiser and can handle a heavy workload, Jones was the team's explosive rusher.

That's why they added Lloyd, who many draft analysts believed was the best RB in the class. Lloyd was a master, getting yards after contact, averaging 7.1 yards per attempt. With Jacobs as the thunder, the Packers drafted Llyod to be the lightning.

We didn't see that this season. Still, LaFleur has high hopes for the young running back and likes what he brings to the room.

"He would definitely add a dynamism to that room and to that position," said LaFleur. "Anytime you can have, whether it's a tight end or a runner that can create matchup issues in the passing game, that's huge for you. He's got a lot of explosive ability.”

Keeping four running backs on the roster is already unlikely, meaning Wilson or Brooks probably start the 2025 season on the practice squad.

The room is already crowded, and there really isn't a role for Dillon.

Jacobs fits the bill of the big back who can bowl over opponents and get those short-yardage scores. Green Bay's red-zone woes trickled away once they started handing Jacobs the ball more in the red zone. That was supposed to be Dillon's role, but he never really excelled at it.

Dillon last played in 2023, and he only had 613 rushing yards and two TDs on 178 carries, despite a stretch as the team's lead back. His 3.4 yards per attempt was the lowest of his career.

Wilson had 502 yards and four TDs on only 103 attempts while averaging a better 4.9 yards per attempt.

The other backs on Green Bay's roster either fill Dillon's role better than Dillon has historically or are more efficient.

By all accounts, Dillon is a great guy and has really taken to the Wisconsin lifestyle. He's an ideal brand ambassador but never had the same impact on the field. It's looking increasingly like his legendary two-TD game in the snow against the Tennessee Titans in 2020 was an anomaly.

Even if Dillon is open to taking a pay cut to stay in Green Bay, there isn't a place for him on the roster. Maybe as a practice squad candidate, but even then, he could find some role outside Green Bay.

The Packers have one of the better rushing attacks in the league, and it might get even better with Lloyd in the mix. Unfortunately, their success means Dillon's time on the field in Green Bay is all but over.