The 2025 season has not been very kind to former members of the Green Bay Packers. Sure, Aaron Rodgers is enjoying a bit of a resurgence in Pittsburgh, but Jaire Alexander is floundering in front of the entire league after being kicked out of Green Bay, and Za'Darius Smith just opted to retire following only five games with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Philly happens to have another ex-Packer in running back AJ Dillon, who's currently struggling. The veteran landing with the defending Super Bowl champs certainly raised eyebrows this offseason, as Dillon was slated for primary backup duties despite missing the entire 2024 campaign with his lingering neck injury.
However, Dillon hasn't stepped up to the task over the first six games of the year, and now Philadelphia is starting to distance itself from the former Green Bay rusher.
Ex-Packer AJ Dillon Made Inactive for 1st Time This Season in Week 7
The Eagles decided to make Dillon inactive on Sunday, first reported by The Athletic's Zach Berman, marking the first time all season he's been held out by the team. This comes on the heels of Philly having a "mini-bye" that prompted major discussions about what changes to make with head coach Nick Sirianni's offense looking lifeless at this point.
Suffice it to say, this is a worrisome development for the ex-Packer RB. He was signed to fill an important role for the Eagles and provide a bit of playmaking behind Saquon Barkley. Instead, the belief clearly isn't there, as Dillon has logged just 12 carries in six games and only 13% of the offensive snaps.
Most notably, Dillon screwed up in a major way right before Philadelphia's mini-break, as he fumbled with seven minutes left in opposing territory (h/t @AggregateSports) on Thursday night in Week 6. This killed any hope of the Eagles making a comeback versus the New York Giants, who were up 34-17 but had allowed Philly's offense to get down the field before Dillon's gaffe.
This benching, coming right on the heels of that error, puts Dillon firmly on the wrong side of the coaching staff. It's not like Philadelphia needs to settle and is forced to play Dillon, especially after general manager Howie Roseman traded for fellow RB Tank Bigsby following their Week 1 game. It appears the Eagles don't want to use Bigsby in return situations, either, after he's struggled there, so playing him at running back to get their money's worth is fully in the cards.
Making Dillon inactive is a clear indication of coaches losing trust in what he brings to the table. It's incredibly hard to earn that back when opportunities are so few for backups. Contenders like the Packers and Eagles are starting to identify who they want on the field for a playoff push as well, so they're going to prioritize those players seeing the field in the second half of the season.
Perhaps this is just a one-week blip for Dillon, whom Philadelphia clearly thought highly of by signing him despite the risk. However, the early returns from this partnership are not what anyone wanted, and that puts him in a dangerous position with the Eagles, who aren't afraid to shake things up at any point.