After years of NFL teams discounting running backs, 2025 saw a huge shift in the opposite direction.
Teams that refused to pay their top running backs large salaries saw their former stars propel their squad to new heights.
Saquon Barkley was a serious MVP candidate who helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl. Derrick Henry joined Lamar Jackson, a partnership that the rest of the NFL should not have allowed, and the Baltimore Ravens’ offence took off.
The Green Bay Packers also took part in the action. It was disappointing to see the Packers release Aaron Jones, who has signed with the Minnesota Vikings. Nonetheless, Josh Jacobs was a blessing.
Green Bay received tremendous value from Jacobs and his backups, Chris Brooks and Emanuel Wilson. That trio returns in 2025, as does third-round rookie MarShawn Lloyd, a dynamic talent who effectively redshirted the 2024 season.
Running back is not a position the Packers need to add. This is awful news for AJ Dillon, who missed the 2024 season. Dillon may be beloved by the coaching staff and the fans, but it would be surprising if he returned to Green Bay the following season.
The offensive coaching staff had great aspirations for Dillon in 2024 after he accepted a minimum contract to stay in Green Bay. Dillon received offers in free agency from other teams, but he chose to stay in the place he grown to love.
Dillon sustained a season-ending neck injury in late August, putting a stop to any prospects of seeing those plans realized.
In the meantime, Green Bay boasted one of the league’s greatest rushing offences, thanks primarily to Jacobs but also helped by Brooks and Wilson. While the Packers previously had Jones as a dynamic rusher, they closely managed his usage to keep him fresh. Jones frequently disappeared from the game on orders from above.
While Matt LaFleur occasionally deviated from the running game, he had no trouble making Jacobs a bell-cow back.
Jacobs concluded the regular season with 1,329 running yards and 15 touchdowns, plus 342 receiving yards and another touchdown. Green Bay’s offensive line was not always effective at run blocking. Nonetheless, Jacobs took advantage of his opportunities and produced some of the league’s top yards-after-contact numbers.
Wilson and Brooks added 502 yards (four touchdowns) and 183 yards (one touchdown) to the rushing offence, respectively. Brooks was an effective blocker, while Wilson was one of the most improved players on the roster. Wide receiver Jayden Reed contributed 163 rushing yards and a touchdown and will continue to see some designed run plays.
That’s a great running back room, and that’s before you consider Lloyd.
Jones was the team’s explosive rusher, whereas Jacobs is a bruiser capable of handling a hefty workload.
That’s why they added Lloyd, who many draft analysts considered the finest running back in the class. Lloyd was an expert at getting yards after contact, averaging 7.1 yards per attempt. With Jacobs as the thunder, the Packers drafted Llyod as the lightning.
We haven’t seen that this season. Nonetheless, LaFleur has high expectations for the rookie running back and appreciates what he brings to the table.
“He would definitely add a dynamism to that room and to that position,” LaFleur told me. “Having a tight end or runner who can create matchup concerns in the passing game is extremely beneficial. He has a lot of explosive ability.”
Keeping four running backs on the roster is already unlikely, therefore Wilson or Brooks will likely open the 2025 season on the practice squad.
The room is already overcrowded, and Dillon has no position.
Jacobs fits the bill for a large back who can dominate opponents and score short-yardage touchdowns. Green Bay’s red-zone issues faded as they began to give Jacobs more red-zone opportunities. That was meant to be Dillon’s function, but he never quite excelled at it.
Dillon last played in 2023, and although serving as the team’s primary back, he only had 613 running yards and two touchdowns on 178 touches. His 3.4 yards per attempt was the lowest in his career.
Wilson gained 502 yards and four touchdowns on just 103 tries, averaging 4.9 yards per attempt.
The other backs on Green Bay’s roster either fill Dillon’s role better than he has in the past, or are more efficient.
By all accounts, Dillon is a lovely man who has embraced the Wisconsin lifestyle. He is an excellent brand ambassador, but he has never had the same influence on the field. It appears that his memorable two-touchdown game in the snow versus the Tennessee Titans in 2020 was an outlier.
Even if Dillon is willing to take a pay cut in order to stay in Green Bay, he will not be able to make the roster. Maybe as a practice squad candidate, but he could still find work outside of Green Bay.
The Packers already have one of the league’s best rushing offences, and with Lloyd in the mix, that might improve even more. Unfortunately, their success means Dillon’s time on the field in Green Bay is nearly done.
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