Getty Packers running back AJ Dillon.
The Green Bay Packers decided to bring back veteran running back AJ Dillon on a one-year contract following a disappointing 2023 campaign, but could Dillon still wind up on the NFL trade block before the start of the 2024 season?
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine recently identified Dillon as one of the top three trade candidates on the Packers’ roster heading into NFL training camp later this month. The 26-year-old Dillon played in 60 games and rushed for 2,428 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Packers over the past four seasons, but he struggled to embrace a featured role.
Now, Dillon finds himself in a crowded Packers backfield that signed 2022 NFL rushing leader Josh Jacobs as its new starter and used a third-round pick on MarShawn Lloyd. He is not the starter and might not even be the No. 2 back in the rotation if Lloyd shows early signs of promise during camp and throughout August in the preseason.
“That would leave Dillon as the third running back, but they have intriguing young options in Emanuel Wilson and Jarveon Howard,” Ballentine wrote on July 3. “If either of them stands out in camp, they could put Dillon on the trade block.”
Could Packers Shop AJ Dillon During Training Camp?
Dillon is not a burden for the Packers at the moment. They re-signed him to a one-year contract and invested little money into him, so little that his 2024 cap hit (about $1.29 million) is actually lower than either of the final two seasons on his rookie contract. Even if they decide Lloyd is ready for the No. 2 role to start the season, Dillon remains an experienced third option who is familiar with head coach Matt LaFleur’s offense.
That said, the market could sway the Packers if the other chips fall favorably.
The Packers might have an opportunity to move Dillon if a running back need emerges elsewhere in the build-up to the 2024 season. The Dallas Cowboys are the team that seems most in need of rushing talent heading into training camp, but injuries could force one or a few more teams to survey the market before the start of the season.
Of course, Green Bay would have to feel good about one of its younger backs first. Wilson — an undrafted rookie in 2023 — won a roster spot with the team last season and rushed 14 times for 85 yards in limited reps before a shoulder injury landed him on injured reserve in November. If he can take another step in 2024, he could be a younger No. 3 option for the Packers over Dillon — albeit, Wilson is only one year younger.
Keeping AJ Dillon May Give Packers Best Chance in 2024
The Packers could look to move Dillon if the need for an experienced running back arises around the league in the next few months, but perhaps the best thing for the team moving into 2024 is to keep Dillon around — even if he falls into a third-string role.
Dillon knows LaFleur’s system and, despite his lackluster performances in 2023, has flashed his potential in the past both as a ball-carrier and pass-catcher out of the backfield. The Packers clearly do not trust Dillon to be their lead back (hence the signing of Jacobs), but his experience could be vital if something happens to Jacobs.
The Packers are also only guessing at this point how Lloyd will pan out as a rookie. The team spent a third-round pick on him, but they have yet to see how he practices in pads, how he performs in the preseason and whether he can firmly lock down the No. 2 role. He may still do that, but it would be tough to find a better alternative option than Dillon — who costs a meager $1.29 million against the cap for the upcoming season.
