Most Philadelphia Eagles fans are not going to shed a tear seeing running back A.J. Dillon walk out the door in free agency.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that Dillon signed a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers to join their backfield. Dillon spent just one season with the Eagles, as he was expected to come in as the backup running back to Saquon Barkley.
It was clear early on in the 2025 campaign that it would not be the case, as a Week 6 showdown against the New York Giants saw Dillon muff a kickoff and fumble within a few plays of each other. From that point on, Dillon was never active for another Eagles game again, as he was replaced by Tank Bigsby as the backup and was a healthy scratch every game. Dillon finished the season with 60 rushing yards and 21 receiving yards.
A.J. Dillon's one season in Philly was a failure
Surprisingly, Dillon showed in training camp and preseason that he is a versatile running back. He did well catching the ball out of the backfield and was a solid power back.
It appeared as though he was not the same running back coming back from the neck injury he had with the Green Bay Packers in 2024. He did not live up to expectations of how he was supposed to play when he signed his one-year deal with Philly last offseason.
Dillon also shockingly got outplayed by Bigsby, which no one saw coming, as he was just seen as a returner to fill in for Will Shipley when he was injured early in the season. Instead, Bigsby became a weapon on offense, averaging nearly six yards per rushing attempt.
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The Eagles took a calculated risk with Dillon, and it didn't pay off. Philly's backfield is in a much better position now with Barkley, Bigsby, and Shipley back there.