Running back A.J. Dillon, who spent last year with the Eagles, has signed a one-year contract with the Panthers, according to NFL reporter Jordan Schultz.
After missing the entire 2024 season with a neck injury, Dillon signed a one-year, $1.34 million contract to provide depth behind Saquon Barkley.
Dillon began the season as the Eagles’ RB2 and averaged 5.3 yards on 11 carries through five games. But in a Week 6 loss to the Giants he muffed a kickoff out of bounds at the Eagles’ 5-yard-line in the second quarter and then lost a fumble after an 11-yard catch later on that drive.
That performance as well as Tank Bigsby’s ascension as RB2 essentially landed Dillon on the bench. He didn’t play again until the meaningless season-ending loss to Washington, when he played two snaps.
Dillon did find himself in the news in December when, with the Eagles on a two-game losing streak, he brought a 12-foot inflatable “positivity rabbit” into the locker room, a move that backfired when the Eagles lost that week to the Chargers.
The rabbit disappeared after that game.
“I was literally already buying something for our (meeting) room and everybody was buying stuff for their rooms,” Dillon told NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Dave Zangaro. “I was like, ‘Oh, look at this. On sale and it’s big. We’ll put it here and get the guys laughing a little bit.’ And the vibes were high. But it didn’t work. So I came in and took it down.”
Dillon rushed for 2,428 yards with 86 catches for 763 more yards and 18 total TDs in four years with the Packers but finished his one year in Philly with just 60 rushing yards and three catches for 21 yards.
The Panthers already have Chuba Hubbard, a 1,000-yard rusher in 2024; Jonathan Brooks, a 2nd-round pick in 2024; and Trevor Etienne, a rookie 4th-round pick last year, in their running back room.
The Eagles still have Barkley, Bigsby, Will Shipley and Carson Steele in their running back room.
Dillon joins former Eagles Kenny Pickett, Jaelan Phillips and Ainias Smith with the Panthers.
Dillon is the 11th unrestricted free agent to leave the Eagles since the start of the legal tampering period on March 9. In addition to Dillon and Phillips, Nakobe Dean (Raiders), Reed Blankenship (Texans), Jahan Dotson (Falcons), Brett Toth (49ers), Sam Howell (Cowboys), Matt Pryor (Cardinals), Josh Uche (Dolphins), Azeez Ojulari (Falcons) and Kylen Granson (Titans) have signed elsewhere.
Remaining free agents who haven’t signed yet are Brandon Graham, Adoree’ Jackson, Fred Johnson, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Marcus Epps and Ben VanSumeren.