Tag: A.J. Dillon

Packers lament losing RB A.J. Dillon to season-ending neck injury

The Packers placed RB A.J. Dillon on season-ending injured reserve on Tuesday.

Uncomfortable with the current injury diagnosis and unwilling to risk worsening a repeated injury to his neck, the Green Bay Packers made the difficult decision to place running back A.J. Dillon on season-ending injured reserve during final cuts on Tuesday.

Dillon suffered his second stinger in nine months during the Packers’ second-to-last week of training camp. Now on injured reserve without a return designation, Dillon’s season with the Packers — and possibly his career in Green Bay — is over. General manager Brian Gutekunst explained the delicate process of placing Dillon injured reserve this week.

“We’re very, very cautious with heads, necks and hearts around here, always have been,” Gutekunst said Wednesday. “Obviously, he had the injury last year, went through some things this year. I won’t get into the details of it, but it was just something that we weren’t comfortable with in the moment. Hopefully, that will change in time. He won’t be with us this year. But he’s going to need some time to get through this and see exactly how this will shake out. I wish the best for him. He’s a pro’s pro. It’s a tough blow when these things happen. Hopefully, in short time, he’ll get some good news.”

If Dillon eventually gets good news on the health front, the two sides could reach an injury settlement that allows the veteran running back to sign with another team and play during the 2024 season. For now, he’ll remain on injured reserve in Green Bay.

A stinger injury occurs when nerves in the neck and arm are stretched or compressed as a result of a collision. According to UPMC, repeated stinger injuries can cause chronic pain, numbness throughout the arm and hand and even permanent weakness in the arm and hand.

Dillon, a 2020 second-round pick, returned to the Packers on a one-year deal in 2024. He was expected to be a versatile option behind Josh Jacobs at running back. In fact, coach Matt LaFleur said the offense had a plan for using Dillon in unique ways this season.

“It’s really discouraging because we had a pretty clear vision for what he could do,” LaFleur said. “It wasn’t just going to be as a runner. I thought his versatility was what I was most excited about, just being able to do a lot of different things, in regards to some of the stuff that we did a year ago with him when we had some of our two-halfback sets. So, it certainly leaves us with a void. That’s life in the National Football League.”

The Packers will move forward at running back with Emanuel Wilson and third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd as the primary backups. Wilson led the team in rushing during the preseason for the second straight year, while Lloyd brings explosive running talent and receiving potential to the table. The Packers also brought back Nate McCrary and Ellis Meriweather on the practice squad.

Dillon wrote a message regarding the injury on his various social media channels on Thursday:

Dillon played in 60 regular season games and three playoff games while with the Packers. He created 3,191 total yards and scored 18 touchdowns.

Packers place RB A.J. Dillon on season-ending injured reserve

The Packers placed A.J. Dillon on injured reserve without a reserve designation, ending his 2024 season.

The 2024 season for running back A.J. Dillon with the Green Bay Packers is over. The team placed Dillon, who suffered his second stinger injury in nine months at a practice earlier this month, on injured reserve without a return designation on Tuesday, which will end his season.

New NFL rules allow teams to place up to two players on injured reserve with a designation to return during final cutdowns to 53 players. The Packers used the designation on defensive lineman Jonathan Ford but did not with Dillon and tight end Tyler Davis.

Dillon suffered a stinger during the Packers’ joint practice with the Denver Broncos. He previously suffered a stinger during the Packers’ win over the Minnesota Vikings last December. The nerve injury can affect strength and function in a person’s arms and hands.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur wasn’t sure if Dillon would be ready for Week 1 when asked following the preseason finale and said, on multiple occasions, that the team was still gathering information and opinions on Dillon’s injury. It’s possible the final diagnosis was far worse than first believed.

Dillon, a second-round pick of the Packers in 2020, returned to Green Bay on a one-year deal. This procedural roster move may end his time with the Packers. In fact, it’s possible Dillon and the Packers will eventually agree to an injury settlement that will remove him from injured reserve.

The Packers kept rookie MarShawn Lloyd and Emanuel Wilson on the initial 53-man roster behind starter Josh Jacobs.

Dillon played in 60 games for the Packers over four seasons. He rushed 597 times for 2,428 yards and 16 touchdowns while catching 86 passes for 763 yards and two scores. Last season, Dillon rushed for 613 yards but averaged only 3.4 yards per attempt.

Packers being cautious, gathering info on A.J. Dillon’s latest stinger injury

The Packers are being cautious after RB A.J. Dillon suffered another stinger injury.

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.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur talks A.J. Dillon and Bo Melton following preseason struggles

Matt LaFleur wants better blocking in front of A.J. Dillon, and Bo Melton to have more aggressive hands catching the ball.

During Saturday’s preseason opener in Cleveland, Green Bay Packers running back A.J. Dillon failed to get a yard on three consecutive carries and receiver Bo Melton had two or three drops — creating two of the more disappointing individual performances of the 23-10 win over the Browns.

Coach Matt LaFleur said the run blocking “wasn’t good enough” on any of the three carries for Dillon, who ended his day with four carries for two yards. After the Packers got to 2nd-and-1, Dillon received three straight carries but was stopped short on all three, including on fourth down.

“There wasn’t a whole lot of daylight to run the ball,” LaFleur said Monday. “Certainly, when you have three cracks at it to get a yard and you don’t get it done, that’s a problem. We have to play with a little better leverage. Get our pad level down…The opportunity wasn’t great in any of the (three) situations.”

The telling stat: Dillon finished with only two rushing yards, but he gained seven yards after first contact, per Pro Football Focus.

At receiver, Melton had a couple of potential catches bounce off his normally reliable hands. LaFleur said the fix is being more aggressive, but he also said the quarterbacks could deliver a better ball.

“You have to look both sides of it. A couple of those were definitely catchable balls, and any time it hits you in the hands you gotta make the play,” LaFleur said. “I think there were a couple of times where he had to be a little more aggressive and not allow it to get into his body. At the same time, the quarterback has to get it out in front of him. Certainly, plays we know he’s capable of making, and we’ve seen him make, but it all starts with aggressive hands mindset.”

On his first drop, the ball from Sean Clifford was slightly behind Melton. A later drop came in the red zone on a better throw from Michael Pratt.

Melton also mishandled a jet sweep handoff but was able to recover on the bounce and gain positive yards.

Dillon, now in his fifth season, is competing for snaps as the backup behind starter Josh Jacobs. Melton, who came on strong to end last season, is likely the fifth receiver on the depth chart behind Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks.

Packers think they’ll get the best from RB A.J. Dillon in 2024

Packers coach Matt LaFleur thinks Dillon is both physically and mentally prepared to have his best season. 

The Green Bay Packers swapped Aaron Jones for Josh Jacobs and drafted MarShawn Lloyd in the third round, but veteran running back A.J. Dillon isn’t going gentle into that good night as he enters training camp and prepares for an important fifth season.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur thinks Dillon — who returned on a one-year deal — is both physically and mentally prepared to have his best season.

“This is the best I’ve seen him. Hands down. And I think he’d tell you the same,” LaFleur said before Tuesday’s training camp practice. “It’s a testament to the work he’s put in. He came back and he’s in great shape. I was joking with him the other day, you can see the abs on him. That’s hard for a big man to do. He looks like he’s in great shape, I think he’s in a great place mentally. Obviously, we know what he’s capable of doing. I think he’s in a really good position to show his best.”

Dillon had his worst season by success rate, yards per carry and yards per touch last season. He averaged only 3.4 yards per carry, down almost a full yard from his average between 2020 and 2022, and he struggled to break tackles and create explosive plays.

Could a productive offseason fuel a return to 2021 performance levels for Dillon?

As a second-year player, Dillon averaged 4.3 yards per carry and produced a successful run on 61.0 percent of his carries. Together with Jones, Dillon provided one half of the league’s most dynamic running back duo in 2021. The production and efficiency just weren’t there the last two years, and now Dillon — with competition above and below him on the depth chart — is entering a make-or-break training camp.

Jacobs, an All-Pro, will be the new No. 1 back in Green Bay, and it’s possible he’ll handle a bigger workload than Jones. Lloyd, a third-round pick, has all the talent necessary to win the No. 2 job if he can overcome an early hip injury during camp. Even Emanuel Wilson, the NFL’s rushing leader in the preseason last summer, has an opportunity to win a roster spot over Dillon this summer.

But a bounce back season from Dillon would be huge for the Packers. His physically demanding running style and ability to create out of the backfield — he once caught 34 of 37 targets in 2021 — would provide an excellent complement to Jacobs in the Jordan Love offense.

Dillon might be on the roster bubble, but he’s put himself in position to play his best football in 2024.

Hear more from LaFleur on Tuesday below:

A.J. Dillon returns to Packers with cap number under $1.3M in 2024

A.J. Dillon’s cap number for the Packers in 2024? Only $1,292,000.

The return of running back A.J. Dillon will cost the Green Bay Packers next to nothing on the salary cap in 2024. According to Over the Cap, Dillon’s cap number will be $1,292,500 this season.

The Packers and Dillon agreed to four-year player qualifying contract (more from OTC here). Under this unique and rarely used contract mechanism, Dillon will earn a $2,575,000 base salary and a $167,500 signing bonus, but only $1,292,500 will count against the cap.

How small is Dillon’s cap hit? He’ll account for roughly 0.5 percent of the total salary cap, and his cap number is roughly the same as Tucker Kraft and Sean Rhyan, two recent third-round picks on rookie contracts.

Last season, Dillon averaged 3.4 yards per rush and scored only two touchdowns on 200 total touches. But Dillon has a career rushing success rate of 55.6 percent, a top-10 mark among running backs since 2020. He knows Matt LaFleur’s offense and is a capable receiver and blocker.

Dillon, a second-round pick in 2020, reportedly had outside interest from several teams, including the Dallas Cowboys and Indianapolis Colts. It’s safe to assume he took less money to stay in Green Bay, where he’s openly admitted he wanted to stay long term.

Dillon’s contract won’t guarantee he’s on the roster in 2024, but it’s a good bet that he’ll be part of the backup plan behind Josh Jacobs.

7 running back the Ravens could target in free agency

We’re looking at ten running backs the Baltimore Ravens could target during the 2024 NFL Free Agency period

The Ravens have several pressing needs this off-season, but one exciting position to watch will be running back, where three players (Melvin Gordon, J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards) could all move on in free agency.

Baltimore could add a player in the draft, but if they want to make a splashy or value signing at the start of next week’s free-agent period, GM Eric DeCosta has plenty of big-named options to target.

We’re considering ten running backs Baltimore could target with the new league year fast approaching.

10 running backs the Eagles could target in NFL free agency

We’re looking at 10 running backs the Philadelphia Eagles could target during the 2024 NFL Free Agency period

The Eagles have several pressing needs this off-season, but one exciting position to watch will be running back, where three players (D’Andre Swift, Rashaad Penny, Boston Scott) could all move on in free agency.

Philadelphia could add a player in the draft, but if they want to make a splashy or value signing at the start of next week’s free-agent period, GM Howie Roseman has plenty of big-named options to target.

The Eagles added a new offensive coordinator in former Cowboys and Chargers play caller Kellen Moore. He’ll look to institute a”physical, north-and-south run game” rooted in”getting downhill.”

With the new league year fast approaching, we’re looking at ten running backs Philadelphia could target.

1 pending free agent the Eagles could target from each NFC team

We’re looking at one pending free agent from each NFC team that the Philadelphia Eagles could target

Free agency is about two weeks away, and the Philadelphia Eagles have several players set to hit the open market. General manager Howie Roseman has to make critical decisions to fill roster holes.

While Roseman will likely look to the free agent market for answers, several in-house free agents are candidates to sign an extension ahead of free agency.

The Birds are set to have 20 pending free agents, and with another likely retool schedule on defense, the organization could conjure up a scheme for more flexibility.

According to Over the Cap’s potential transaction chart, the Eagles can easily create $35.4 million in cap space by making these five moves.

With the new league year fast approaching, we’re looking at one pending free agent from each NFC team that could interest Philadelphia.

Packers not expected to re-sign free agent RB A.J. Dillon

The Packers are not expected to re-sign RB A.J. Dillon, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Change is likely coming for at least one-half of the Green Bay Packers’ long-running tandem at running back. According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Packers are not expected to re-sign running back A.J. Dillon, who has an expiring rookie contract.

Dillon, a second-round pick in 2020, played in 60 games and made 11 starts for the Packers over the last four seasons. He rushed 597 times for 2,428 yards and 16 touchdowns and caught 86 passes for 763 yards and two scores.

Per Silverstein, the Packers are also in the middle of negotiating a restructure for Aaron Jones, who has one year left on his current deal.

Dillon’s best season as a pro came in 2021, but he was unable to replicate his efficiency as a No. 2 option at running back over the last two seasons.

In 2021, Dillon averaged 4.3 yards per carry, caught 34 of 37 passes (91.8%) and produced 1,116 total yards. Between 2022 and 2023, Dillon averaged 3.8 yards per carry, caught 50 of 71 passes (70.4%) and averaged 906 total yards. He averaged 3.4 yards per carry and struggled as the No. 1 option while the Packers were without Jones for multiple games in 2023.

Dillon missed the final three games of the 2023 season (including the postseason) with a stinger in his neck.

The Packers likely want more explosiveness out of the running back position moving forward, and with 11 draft picks, general manager Brian Gutekunst should have ample opportunity to add to the position come April.

Dillon played 1,604 total snaps on offense and handled 683 total touches for the Packers over the past four seasons. He scored 18 total touchdowns.

Dillon’s contract officially expires at the start of the new league year. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent.