The Green Bay Packers are focused on crafting the best team possible for the 2026 season, but fans still like to see where former players land. And during the second week of free agency, NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reported that the Carolina Panthers are signing running back AJ Dillon.
It was a one-year deal, but based on how the last two years have gone for Dillon, this could be his last chance to save his NFL career and show he can still be a contributor to an offense.
Panthers Could Be Giving AJ Dillon One Last Chance in the NFL
Last offseason, Dillon joined the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year deal, but he didn't have much of a role at all there. He suited up in seven games, logging just 12 carries for 60 rushing yards. Dillon also had three catches for 21 yards. He played in 12 percent of the offensive snaps, which was a career low.
Dillon's underwhelming 2025 season came one year after he missed the entire 2024 season due to a neck injury. After showing flashes of being a productive downhill running back with the Packers, he wasn't able to recapture that success.
In 60 games (11 starts) with the Packers, Dillon had 597 carries for 2,428 rushing yards and 16 rushing scores. As a pass catcher, he had 89 catches for 784 receiving yards and two more touchdowns.
His best days came with the Packers, but if he's unable to find that same caliber of play with the Panthers, teams may not look in his direction for the future. Chuba Hubbard is the lead tailback for Carolina, but there could be room behind him. The Panthers have Jonathon Brooks in the fold, but he missed last season rehabbing from a torn ACL.
While Carolina believes Brooks will be able to bounce back, they added Dillon for insurance. Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer revealed that Carolina wants Brooks to have a bigger role in 2026. They also have Trevor Etienne, who Kaye thinks will get RB2 carries over Dillon, but injuries can always happen. Brooks tore his ACL twice within 13 months, once with the Panthers and once with the Texas Longhorns.
Meanwhile, Hubbard missed two games in 2025 due to a calf injury and saw his job get taken for several weeks by Rico Dowdle. Considering that Brooks has three NFL games under his belt, Dillon has experience that could work in his favor, especially early on. Carolina clearly wanted a veteran added to that room, and that's where the Boston College product can step in.
Dillon was a complete non-factor with the Eagles, but he can't allow that to happen again. If he isn't productive for the third straight season, teams won't look at him in the same light. His best days in the NFL came when he was wearing the green and gold. And if he wants to stick around the NFL, he needs to recapture that success and bring it down to Carolina.