The Green Bay Packers’ backfield is set for a significant transformation in 2024. Running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon, who have been the team’s leading rushers since Dillon was drafted 62nd overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, could both potentially be leaving the Packers. Dillon, known to fans as “Quadzilla,” has been placed on injured reserve due to a neck injury, and he has not been designated for return, effectively ending his 2024 season before it began. Meanwhile, Jones has signed a one-year, $7 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings during the offseason.
This is a substantial setback for Dillon, who came back to the Packers on a one-year, $1.3 million contract this offseason. The 26-year-old running back will miss the opportunity to establish his role in the team’s running back rotation. Over his four seasons with the Packers, Dillon has accumulated 2,428 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on 597 attempts, though he experienced a career-low average of 3.4 yards per carry in 2023, finishing with 613 yards and two touchdowns on 178 carries.
In the 2024 NFL Draft, the Packers selected USC running back MarShawn Lloyd in the third round, picking him 88th overall, and they also signed 2022 rushing champion Josh Jacobs to a four-year, $48 million deal in free agency. While there’s a possibility that Dillon could make a comeback in 2025, he will be focused on rehabilitation and recovery throughout the entire 2024 season.