The Philadelphia Eagles were expected to lose key contributors this offseason from their Super Bowl-winning season, which has become a reality through the first few days of free agency.
The top-ranked defense from a season ago took a hit so far, but the team believes in their young players to step up and produce at a high level in 2025.
On offense, the Eagles traded backup quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Cleveland Browns for quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a 2025 fifth-round pick.
The organization acquired guard Kenyon Green from the Houston Texans for safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson while also doing a pick swap as part of the deal. Running back Kenneth Gainwell signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Eagles quickly brought in his potential replacement.
Eagles Sign Former Packers Running Back A.J. Dillon
The Eagles agreed to terms with former Green Bay Packers running back A.J. Dillon on a one-year deal. The 26-year-old was the 62nd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and spent his first four seasons with the Packers. He was productive as part of a running back by committee with former Packer, Aaron Jones.
Dillon missed the 2024 season with a neck injury and will look to make a comeback with the Eagles, backing up reigning Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley. Dillon, known as “Quadzilla” and the “Quadfather,” joins Barkley to make the most powerful backfield in the NFL. Both running backs are known for their strong legs and the insane amount of weight they can squat in the weight room. While a ban is being considered, the already dominant tush-push play just got scarier with the addition of Dillon.
Although the Eagles lost Gainwell who was a valuable backup running back throughout his four-year tenure with the team, Dillon has proved he can handle large workloads with success. Dillon has played 60 career regular season games, accumulating 2,428 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. He’s also effective in the passing game, with 763 receiving yards and two touchdowns in his career.
Dillon may not get as many opportunities as he did with the Packers, but he’ll provide the Eagles with insurance behind Barkley. The 1-2 punch with those two and Will Shipley in the mix should be an elite combination to an already dominant run game.
A.J. Dillon Free Agent Signing Grade: B+
This move can’t hurt the Eagles, assuming Dillon doesn’t have any setbacks with his neck injury. At the very worst he’ll have the same impact that Gainwell did with the Eagles, but Dillon has the potential to be a part of a top running back duo and cause nightmares for opposing defenses.