6 Packers Unlikely to Return in 2025 After Poor Start to Season

A.J. Dillon

A.J. Dillon isn't just off to a slow start this season—he's off to no start at all.

In what feels like the cruelest twist of fate, Dillon showed up to training camp in arguably the best shape of his career. This was a pivotal year for him. After signing a disappointing one-year deal with Green Bay in the offseason, Dillon seemed determined to prove he belonged—not just with the Packers, but in the NFL at large. His motivation was palpable; his physique, transformed. This was going to be the year Dillon silenced the doubters.

And then, disaster struck.

In the second preseason game, Dillon suffered a stinger. What initially seemed like a minor injury quickly spiraled into something much worse. Dillon was later placed on season-ending injured reserve, effectively ending his campaign before it even began.

His absence wasn’t just a loss of depth at running back—it was a missed opportunity for Dillon to re-establish himself as a key player in Green Bay’s backfield rotation.

Now, Dillon finds himself in an unenviable position. Josh Jacobs is under contract for the next four years and firmly entrenched as the lead back. Rookie MarShawn Lloyd, despite battling some early injuries, will enter Year 2 of his four-year rookie deal in 2025, and Emanuel Wilson—whose stock has been rising—will be an exclusive rights free agent next season. With that trio likely returning, Dillon’s future with the Packers looks increasingly uncertain.

The harsh reality is that Dillon’s tenure in Green Bay may already be over, through no fault of his own. Injuries have a way of rewriting careers, and with the Packers' running back room already looking crowded, it's hard to imagine a scenario where Dillon finds himself back in green and gold next year.