Getty AJ Dillon of the Green Bay Packers celebrates a TD run with Aaron Jones.
The Green Bay Packers have spent the past two offseasons purging the roster of aging tentpole players, but one familiar face will make an unexpected return to Titletown next season.
Despite the vast majority of reporting over the last several months indicating that backup AJ Dillon had played his last snap in Green Bay, the Packers made the surprising move of re-signing the backup running back on Thursday, March 14.
Free-agent RB AJ Dillon is expected to re-sign with the #Packers pending a physical, per sources.
“Free-agent RB AJ Dillon is expected to re-sign with the #Packers pending a physical, per sources,” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported via X.
The length and price of the deal remained unclear as of Thursday, though the likelihood is that Dillon and the Packers agreed to a shorter contract — perhaps even just one year — at a modest annual salary.
AJ Dillon Will Play Alongside Josh Jacobs in Green Bay, After Packers Cut Aaron Jones
GettyGreen Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon.
Dillon hit free agency for the first time in March after four seasons and will play the 2024 campaign at the age of 26. Spotrac projected his market value at one year and approximately $3.5 million.
The Packers’ offense was set up last year for Dillon to assume the lion’s share of the carries in a split backfield with Aaron Jones, who suffered multiple injuries that opened a path to even more work for Dillon to shine and earn himself a meaningful new contract.
However, Dillon put up his worst performance since his rookie campaign. He averaged just 3.4 yards per carry, which was a career-low by far, and produced a total of 613 rushing yards and 2 rushing TDs.
It was Dillon’s dip in performance, along with the potential that Green Bay might pair Jones with another elite-level running back, that led most analysts to predict the running back would play elsewhere in 2024. But after Jones refused to take a pay cut for a second consecutive season, the Packers released the seven-year veteran and replaced him with former Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs.
Jones ended up with the Minnesota Vikings shortly after his release, signing a one-year deal worth $7 million, at which point Dillon’s return became a viable option in Green Bay. A two-year deal could work for both sides, assuming the Packers could exit the contract with little financial hardship after one season.
However, if Dillon wants to bet on himself, a one-year contract makes sense. He can attempt to re-establish his value as Jacobs’ backup in 2024 and hit the market again ahead of his age-27 campaign, potentially signing a multiyear deal elsewhere for a higher annual average salary.
Josh Jacobs Seeking Resurgent Season With Packers in 2024
GettyFormer Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs signed a lucrative four-year deal to join the Green Bay Packers in March 2024.
While Dillon will return to Green Bay for his fifth season in 2024, the real story is Jacobs.
The Packers opened up the team checkbook to bring the 2022 first-team All-Pro into the fold, signing Jacobs to a four-year contract worth $48 million total.
A former first-round pick (No. 24 overall in 2019), Jacobs has topped 1,000 yards rushing in three of his first five NFL seasons. He went over 800 rushing yards in his other two campaigns, including in 2023, per Pro Football Reference.
Jacobs led the league in rushing two years ago with 1,653 yards and scored 12 rushing TDs for the second time in his career. He has also caught 197 passes during his time in the NFL, amassing 1,448 receiving yards along the way.