The Green Bay Packers, to the franchise’s unquestionable betterment, have systematically gotten younger across the offensive skill positions over the past three years — and have done so absent nostalgia.
That relatively ruthless and highly-calculated approach from general manager Brian Gutekunst got the Packers to within a missed Anders Carlson field goal of the NFC Championship Game last season and has talking heads and opinion columnists across the league more or less universally regarding Green Bay as contenders in 2024.
However, that approach could also lead the Packers to put veteran running back and fan favorite AJ Dillon — affectionally known throughout Titletown as ‘The Quadfather’ — out to pasture before August is up.
Dillon, 26, signed a one-year contract during the offseason to return to Green Bay for his fifth NFL season, which pays him only $2.75 million. However, Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report on Wednesday, August 16, named Dillon as the one player the Packers ought to be shopping ahead of the start of the regular season.
“Josh Jacobs replaces Aaron Jones as the starter, and third-rounder MarShawn Lloyd is a player who’ll be hard to keep off the field due to his blend of speed and power — ultimately leaving Dillon as the third back in the rotation for carries,” Fowler wrote. “While the team could very well play out the year with him and part ways following the campaign without any contractual ties, exploring the market for teams in need of a veteran ball-carrier could see the Packers steal a draft pick in return.”
Fowler also noted that Jarveon Howard or Emanuel Wilson could step in as a third-string back in Dillon’s absence.
AJ Dillon Failed to Seize Opportunity Packers Afforded Him Last Year as Primary Rusher
Dillon had a down year in 2023 with a career-worst 3.4 yards per carry average. He also produced the fewest rushing yards of his career since his rookie campaign with 613 and tied his lowest rushing TD output with only 2 scores, per Pro Football Reference.
Green Bay opened up the runway for Dillon to prove himself the heir apparent to Jones, giving Dillon more carries than Jones over the course of last season. But in a contract year, Dillon regressed.
He can catch the ball a little bit out of the backfield, having tallied 86 receptions for 763 receiving yards and 2 TDs over his four years with the Packers. However, Jacobs is the clear-cut No. 1 option after Green Bay inked the former first-team All-Pro to a four-year deal worth $48 million in the offseason.
Packers’ Decision to Draft MarShawn Lloyd Indicates AJ Dillon’s Future With Team Likely Short
The team’s decision to select Lloyd out of USC with the No. 88 overall pick in the third round was an indicator that it is searching for Dillon’s successor. And Dillon didn’t greatly aid his own cause by rushing the ball 4 times for just 2 yards in the Packers’ preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns on August 10.
Dillon will undoubtedly get more chances to prove himself in the coming weeks, but if he is in real danger of missing the 53-man roster cut line scheduled for the end of August, it would make sense for the Packers to shop him now and see what market, if any, exists for the veteran running back.
Green Bay surely couldn’t expect anything more than a late Day 3 pick in exchange for Dillon considering the position he plays and his career trajectory to this point, but Gutekunst has done plenty with late-round picks before, so trying to make a move might prove worth it.
