It’s the second week of NFL free agency, but the Carolina Panthers are still ironing out their current roster. With Rico Dowdle signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers, that opens the door for Carolina to bring in another running back, which they did on Wednesday.
According to multiple reports, the Panthers agreed to terms with former Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles running back AJ Dillon. His NFL journey continues to move south, as the Baltimore, Maryland native now lands in Carolina. It is a one-year deal with the financials unknown at this time.
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Panthers to Sign Running Back AJ Dillon
GettyNFL insider Jordan Schultz reported former Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon signed a 1-year deal with the Carolina Panthers.
AJ Dillon has 2488 career rushing yards on 609 attempts, which is good for 4.1 yards per attempt. He spent four seasons in Green Bay as a backup running back and tallied 16 total touchdowns with the Packers.
His time with the Eagles didn’t feature as much production, as Dillon rushed for just 60 yards on 12 attempts this past season. However, after missing all of the 2024 season, he appears to be healthier and ready to take on another backup role in the NFL. Dillon was a 2nd round draft pick by the Packers in 2020 out of Boston College.
His 6-0, 247-pound frame makes him a downhill rusher who is hard to get to the ground when he’s running forward.
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Panthers 2026 Running Back Room
This AJ Dillon signing is more of a depth move than anything, but if Jonathan Brooks does not come back healthy, Dillon could see some time as the backup.
Chuba Hubbard will likely be the lead back after the Rico Dowdle departure, but this signing signals that the Panthers would like some competition in their tailback room, especially because Brooks missed all of last season due to injury, and even Hubban got pushed out of the fold after Rico Dowdle’s emergence.
Dillon is still just 27-years-old, and could have some juice left in his legs, but he will have to prove that with a new organization.
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Panthers Sign Former Packers, Eagles Running Back AJ Dillon