Former Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon is signing with the Philadelphia Eagles, per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
The 26-year-old will back up Eagles’ star Saquon Barkley after racking up 2,428 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in his career.
Stepping in as a backup for the defending Super Bowl champs and last season’s leader in carries (345) and yards (2,005) in the NFL, Barkley, he is expected to be ready to play for the first time in nearly two years.
The former second-round draft pick sat out all of the 2024 season after dealing with back-to-back stinger injuries, also missing a couple of games in 2023.
He was added to the team’s injured reserve list before last season began, with no timeline for return, after head coach Matt LaFleur said that they were “being cautious” because “anytime you have a repeated injury there’s concern,” per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.
Schultz reported on Tuesday that the free agent was “cleared by multiple doctors” to return to live action after his two-year struggle with neck injuries.
After the news of his return was shared, he posted the following message on social media:
In his last season with Green Bay in 2023, he posted just two touchdowns but racked up 836 total yards.
Despite his absence for the Packers last season, the team made a Wild Card appearance, relying largely on running back Josh Jacobs, who racked up 1,329 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. Emanuel Wilson also stepped up with four touchdowns.