Unhappy with his current injury diagnosis and not wanting to risk aggravating a repeat neck injury, the Green Bay Packers made the tough decision to place quarterback AJ Dillon on the injured reserve list for the rest of the season during final waivers Tuesday.
Dillon suffered his second stinger in nine months during the penultimate week of Packers training camp. Now on injured reserve with no return designation, Dillon’s season with the Packers — and likely his career in Green Bay — is over. General manager Brian Gutekunst explained the dainty process of placing Dillon on injured reserve this week.
“We’re very, very careful with our heads, necks and hearts, we always have been,” Gutekunst said Wednesday. “Of course, last year he had an injury, this year he went through some things. I won’t go into details, but it was just something we weren’t comfortable with at the time. Hopefully that will change over time. He won’t be with us this year. But he’ll need some time to get through it and see how it goes. I wish him the best. He’s a professional for professionals. It’s a tough blow when these things happen. Hopefully he’ll get some good news soon.”
If Dillon finally gets some good news on the health front, the two sides could reach an injury settlement that would allow the veteran running back to sign with another team and play in the 2024 season. For now, he will remain on the injured reserve list in Green Bay.
A sting injury occurs when nerves in the neck and shoulder are stretched or compressed by the impact. According to UMPRepeated injuries from stings can cause chronic pain, numbness throughout the arm and hand, or even enduring weakness in the arm and hand.
Dillon, a second-round pick in 2020, returned to the Packers on a one-year contract in 2024. He was expected to be a versatile option behind Josh Jacobs at running back. In fact, coach Matt LaFleur said the offense has a plan to apply Dillon in unique ways this season.
“It’s really discouraging because we had a pretty clear vision of what he could do,” LaFleur said. “It wasn’t just that he was going to run. I thought what excited me the most was his versatility, just the ability to do a lot of different things, relative to some of the things we did with him a year ago when we had some of our two-link sets. So it definitely leaves a void for us. That’s life in the National Football League.”
The Packers will continue to play offense with Emanuel Wilson and third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd as their primary backups. Wilson led the team in rushing for the second straight year in the preseason, while Lloyd brings explosive running talent and receiver potential to the team. The Packers also returned Nate McCrary and Ellis Meriweather to the practice squad.
On Thursday, Dillon posted a message on his social media regarding his injury:
Thank you all for your overwhelming support during this tough time. This injury has been a real blow, but I am staying positive and have an amazing support system. Right now I am focused on getting better and keeping my fingers crossed for my brothers to get on with their business 💪 #GPG 💛💚 photo:twitter.com/aCl7ipXHDV
— AJ Dillon (@ajdillon7) August 30, 2024
Dillon played in 60 regular-season games and three playoff games for the Packers, totaling 3,191 yards and 18 touchdowns.
