Dec 24, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon (28) reacts with quarterback Jordan Love (10) after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
The Green Bay Packers have a very different (and better) running back room in 2024 than they had during their last few seasons. They signed Josh Jacobs in free agency and cut ties with Aaron Jones, the third all-time rusher in franchise history. It turned out to be a good move, though, as Jacobs is third in the NFL with 987 rushing yards. His eight rushing touchdowns rank ninth in the league, and eighth among running backs.
Green Bay’s current running back room features Emanuel Wilson, a 2023 undrafted free agent, and Chris Brooks, who was signed to the Packers’ practice squad when the Miami Dolphins waived him after training camp.
Glaring omissions from the depth chart are 2024 third-round draft pick Marshawn Lloyd and longtime backup running back AJ Dillon.
Green Bay Packers Running Backs AJ Dillon and Marshawn Lloyd Are Injured
Rookie running back Marshawn Lloyd has only been able to play in one game this year due to a series of injuries that he has sustained. He missed a great deal of training camp and the preseason due to recovering from a leg injury, and then hurt his ankle in the first NFL regular season game that he played.
Lloyd was placed on injured reserve, but was expected to return this season. Unfortunately, right when the Packers opened up his practice window, he need to have emergency surgery to have his appendix removed.
His season is not officially over as he can still come back in the last few weeks of the year.
Dillon, however, was placed on season-ending injured reserve before the year even started. He suffered a neck injury, his second in nine months, during the preseason.
Dillon had returned to the Packers on an extremely team-friendly deal and looked like he was poised to earn the backup running back job again. Unfortunately, now it seems like the room is full and Green Bay may not want to re-sign him given the nature of his last two injuries.
AJ Dillon Could Leave the Green Bay Packers for the Dallas Cowboys
In a recent article for Fansided, Rucker Haringey suggested Dillon could be an option for the Dallas Cowboys, who have one of the worst rushing offenses in the league, to help solidify their room in 2025:
“Assuming he’s healthy, Dillon checks a lot of boxes for a Cowboys offense that wants to be more physical at the line of scrimmage. He’s a classic bruising back who can punish opposing front sevens with his intense style of running. Green Bay really leveraged his size to punish defenses who tried to load the box to stymy their ground game.
“The non-medical drawback to signing Dillon is that he would require a partner in the backfield to provide balance for the offense. He is a good back to deploy on early downs, but the Cowboys would want to acquire a third-down back to help boost their productivity on obvious passing downs. That might also be a good way to keep Dillon’s snap count under control.
“Dillon’s free agency price should be pretty modest coming off an injury-ravaged season. He would be a cheap free agent signing with a lot of upside for Dallas. A short-term deal would be best for both the player and team in this occasion. Signing him might be a gamble worth taking for the Cowboys.”
Dallas will surely need to address their running back situation better in 2025 than they did in 2024. The Cowboys currently average 85.8 rushing yards per game, which is the second-worst mark in the NFL. Interesting, the Las Vegas Raiders, the team the Packers signed Jacobs away from, is dead last.
Due to their need for quality running backs and the fact that nearly their entire room has expiring contracts, Dillon could be a low-risk-high-reward option for them.
