Packers RB AJ Dillon Placed on Season Ending Injured Reserve
The Green Bay Packers and the rest of the NFL had to get their rosters down from 90 to 53 before Tuesday’s 3:00 PM Central deadline. Some moves were expected. That’s the nature of this business.
Other moves, not so much. Usually, this time of year brings surprise cuts. Who could forget when the Packers had Josh Sitton as a starter for the majority of camp in 2015, before releasing him on cutdown day
There were some surprises today as well. Anthony Johnson Jr, and Kalen King were both released. The Packers kept 11 defensive linemen. Nothing, however, compares to the level of shock that one roster move that was made by the Packers today.
AJ Dillon missed all of last week with what the team was calling a stinger. The hope was that the injury was going to be minor enough for Dillon to return before the start of the regular season. As it turns out, that’s not the case.
Dillon was placed on injured reserve without a designation to return. That means his season is over, before it could even begin. AJ Dillon will miss the year with a neck injury Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports It’s a tough break for Dillon, who was entering training camp with rave reviews about the shape he was in.
Dillon was looking to rebound from a tough season where there was little interest in him in free agency. He returned to the Packers on a seldom-used qualifying offer that guaranteed him nothing, including a roster spot. The coaching staff, almost to a man always praised Dillon’s ability and work ethic when given an opportunity.
“This is the best I’ve seen him. Hands down,” Matt LaFleur said at the beginning of training camp. The Packers were excited about their revamped run game, centered around the free-agent acquisition of Josh Jacobs, but Dillon figured to be a focal point as well. Adam Stenavich offered that Dillon was running the ball hard through camp, and even mentioned him by name when talking about a dynamic duo that he could form with Jacobs.
“Any time you can have Josh Jacobs and A.J. Dillon, that’s a pretty good 1-2 combination right there. I’m excited to see those guys this year.” Stenavich said. That combination, now will not form. Dillon has now had two stingers in nine months, but the team has also referred to what is ailing Dillon as a neck injury.
Those can be tricky, and Dillon himself acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding his injury situation. “It’s human nature,” Dillon said about worrying about his injury situation. “But there is nothing you can do about it. I’m not a doctor, so it’s kind of on their time to let me know what their thoughts are. Our trainers, I think above everything, we want to be safe and smart. You only get one body.”
