Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon had a disappointing season in 2022. The third-year man out of Boston College failed to take his game to the next level and while he didn’t have a bad season, he didn’t play as well as the coaching staff had hoped.
A Slow Start to 2022
AJ Dillon finished the season with 770 yards on 186 carries and seven rushing touchdowns. His average of 4.1-yards per carry was the lowest of his three NFL seasons.
He was the Packers backup running back behind Aaron Jones, but the two made a good tandem because they have complimentary skills. Jones is a fast, one-cut runner who can get to the outside and break a long gain on any play while Dillon is a between the tackles runner who can pick up tough, inside yardage and is tough to bring down one-on-one.
Dillon got off to a slow start on the season. Through the first nine games, he gained only 389 yards and ran for just one touchdown while averaging less than four yards per carry.
The coaching staff was concerned about the way Dillon was running. “Last year, I thought he could’ve been playing at a more aggressive level,” running backs coach Ben Sirmans told reporters at OTAs. “And then we talked about it, watched the tape, he saw what I was referring to and then he applied what we talked about to moving on.”
Dillon did play better down the stretch. In the final eight games of the year, he ran with more authority and started to find the end zone. He scored six touchdowns in the final six games including in five straight games.
Green Bay Packers RB AJ Dillon Has Incentive This Season
This is the final year of Dillon’s rookie contract. Unless he signs a new deal with the Packers, he will become an unrestricted free agent July 1st of 2024.
GM Brian Gutekunst must decide whether either Jones or Dillon will be back in 2024 as Jones has a projected cap hit of $17.1 million according to overthecap.com.
Whether he re-signs with Green Bay or chooses to hit the open market, Dillon has every incentive to play well to ensure that he gets a big contract next year when he will be in his prime. NFL running backs usually get one chance to sign a lucrative deal and it’s their second contract. That means this year will be critical for Dillon’s future.
With the inexperienced Jordan Love under center, the Packers will rely on their running game more than ever in 2023. That means Dillon has a chance to cash in big if he can have a strong year in Green Bay.
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