Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said the team is being “cautious” and are still gathering information after running back A.J. Dillon suffered another stinger injury. The injury is Dillon’s second stinger in the last nine months.
“I think any time you have a repeated injury, absolutely, there is a concern,” LaFleur said Wednesday. “I think we’re being cautious with him and just making sure we gather all the information before we let him go back out there.”
Dillon suffered a stinger against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17 last season and missed the team’s final three games, including both playoff games.
According to Mayo Clinic, a stinger is a “brachial plexus injury” and occurs when a group of nerves are stretched or injured. The injury can cause numbness, weakness or pain in the arm and hands. Stingers are common in football.
Obviously, weakness in an arm or hand can be a debilitating injury for a running back. And it’s possible repeated injury of the nerves could create a long-term issue.
It’s unclear when Dillon suffered his latest injury, but he was made unavailable for last Sunday’s preseason loss to the Denver Broncos and missed Tuesday’s practice in Green Bay.
The Packers will have a closed practice Wednesday, a joint practice on Thursday and the preseason finale on Saturday. Dillon’s status for the rest of the week isn’t known, but a cautious approach would suggest he’s not going to be available.
Last season, Dillon rushed 178 times for 613 yards and two touchdowns while also catching 22 passes for 223 yards across 15 games. He returned on a one-year deal in 2024.
This summer, Dillon has been competing with rookie MarShawn Lloyd and 2023 preseason rushing champ Emanuel Wilson for a role behind starter Josh Jacobs.