6 Packers Fans Will Be Sad to See Leave in Free Agency
The Green Bay Packers had a great 2023 campaign which will make it even tougher for fans to say goodbye to these 6 players
By Randy Gurzi
4. A.J. Dillon, RB
Despite already having Aaron Jones on their roster, Green Bay selected Boston College running back A.J. Dillon in the 2020 NFL Draft. It proved to be a great addition as the 247-pounder brought a different element to their ground game than Jones did.
Dillon started out slow with 242 yards as a rookie but then took off in year two. He appeared in all 17 games and had 803 yards with five touchdowns. He even showed off his skill as a receiver by hauling in 34-of-37 targets for an additional 313 yards and two scores.
What a time to score your first NFL touchdown!
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) December 28, 2020
Rookie AJ Dillon puts the @packers up 19. #TENvsGB // @nbc pic.twitter.com/JERc1VgZNk
Now after four seasons, he has 2,428 yards on the ground and 763 through the air with 18 total touchdowns. Unfortunately, he's coming off of his least effective campaign with 613 rushing yards on just 3.4 per attempt. He also scored just two touchdowns which is his lowest total since his rookie season.
He's still four years younger than Jones but the veteran back has continued to impress. Jones averaged 4.6 yards per touch this season and while he missed six games with just three total touchdowns in the regular season, he went off in the playoffs.
Jones had 118 yards and three TDs in the win over Dallas and then added 108 yards in the loss to San Francisco. The Packers will still want a complementary back to keep him fresh but instead of paying Dillon on a second contract, it would make more sense to look to the draft for a more affordable player with fresh legs.