Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon has not been shy when speaking about his experiences this offseason. For the first time in his career, he was a free agent and seeking employment around the league.
The running back market has been a tough one in recent offseasons as teams have devalued the position. Bonafide stars and lead backs aren’t getting back as much as they deserve, which puts players such as AJ Dillon in a very tough spot.
He ultimately re-signed with the Green Bay Packers on a unique four-year qualifying offer. He is set to earn up to $2.742 million in 2024, as he will be working behind the newly signed Josh Jacobs.
Even with Jacobs as the lead back, and the team using a third-round pick on MarShawn Lloyd in the 2024 NFL Draft, Green Bay is where AJ Dillon always wanted to be. He recently opened up about it, saying he had other opportunities but took a little less money to stick with the Packers.
“Obviously money-wise, there was maybe a little more here or a little more there, a little less there,” Dillon said, via Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “It wasn’t really that big of a deal. It was more so where I felt like I could just be the best, and be the best for the team.”
If it aint broke, don’t fix it. AJ Dillon knows the Green Bay Packers well and they know him, making it a smart decision to stick with the franchise who picked him. He also took into consideration his family situation, making it an easy choice to return.
“I’ve got a one-year-old son, and obviously I love Green Bay,” Dillon said. “Take that away from the Packers — no disrespect to the Packers — but Green Bay will be my home after, regardless if I go somewhere else, or I did go somewhere else.
“So I think it’s one of those things where, as the man of your house, you have to make the best decision for you and your family, and that was it. Obviously, money was a factor. Obviously, role on the team and all that stuff. But at the end of the day, I can’t say it more than just best decision for me and my family.” (H/T ProFootballTalk)
Snaps may have been easier to come by with other teams, but AJ Dillon will still factor into the mix in Green Bay. In four seasons with the team, he has carried the ball 597 times for 2,428 yards and 16 touchdowns. He has added 86 receptions for 763 yards and two more scores.
