Veteran Day

PHILADELPHIA – Since early October, Eagles running back A.J. Dillon hasn’t factored into the team’s game day equation, his contributions exclusively limited to influencing his position room in meetings and on the practice field.

For the past 10 games, Dillon has lived vicariously through position mates Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley.

Presumably, this wasn’t a scenario Dillon – nor the Eagles – envisioned when the two sides agreed to a deal in free agency. Logic at the time suggested that Dillon would compete with Shipley, a second-year pro, for the primary backup role behind Barkley, even if Dillon didn’t exactly profile as a quintessential change-of-pace option coming on in relief of the NFL’s reigning rushing champion.

There was also curiosity surrounding the health of Dillon, who missed the entirety of the 2024 season with a debilitating neck injury.

Still, the signing was accompanied with intrigue. The Eagles, after all, were getting an accomplished between-the-tackles bruiser with modest mileage. Two of Dillon’s first four seasons with the Green Bay Packers yielded seasons of 750-plus rushing yards as part of a two-headed ground attack.

It was a classic low-risk, high-reward signing, though the health factor would remain unanswered until training camp, where Dillon ably withstood contact and demonstrated no lingering effects from his injury.

Dillon would ultimately make the 53-man roster, though his role was never clearly defined. For perspective, there were times where Dillon logged more carries than Shipley, who opened the season second on the depth chart. The 27-year-old also briefly moonlighted as a kick returner, something he hadn’t done with the Packers. His last game active, on Oct. 9, Dillon fumbled away a late-game handoff while also committing the costly mistake of fielding a kickoff that impacted field position.

Some will look at Dillon’s extended absence and correlate it with the two miscues, but it likely had more to do with the team intent of implementing Bigsby, an early season trade acquisition, into the backfield mix. Dillon, without a defined role on offense or special teams, found himself on the outside looking in.

When faced with a setback, there are many ways one can respond, not all of them positive. Dillon predictably took his latest roadblock in stride, looking at things from an optimistic point of view rather than succumb to frustration and disappointment.

Predictably is the operative term, because there’s rarely a moment when Dillon isn’t smiling or uplifting those around him. The game was nearly taken from him, affording Dillon perspective and newfound gratitude for the sport he’s played since he was 6 years old.

“I think that’s really what you ultimately need to do in life,” he said. “As corny as it sounds, the ability and the blessing from God to be able to have my wife and have my son … I’m blessed with an amazing family and support system. A year and a half ago, I didn’t think I was gonna play football again when I was on [injured reserve].

“I try to approach it with a childlike mindset of just having joy in what I’m doing and playing the game that I love. We get paid to play a kid’s game, and I’m having fun and making friends along the way and just trying to do everything the right way.”

Eagles RB A.J. Dillon, a non-factor since October, should get plenty of reps in Sunday’s season finale.

The Eagles’ running back room is close-knit. Inside the building, the quartet will converse over game plans and lean into the their wide range of football experience, while also assisting one another in life logistics. The backs also arrange get-togethers outside the confines of the NovaCare Complex, when schedules align, which has only enhanced the camaraderie.

While Barkley is the group’s undisputed leader, Dillon has undertaken an important role behind the scenes as an older brother-like figure, notably reflected in his bond with Shipley, his locker neighbor. More often than not – in public view, anyway – the pair can be spotted walking to and from practice together. They’ll chat during the stretch period and warmups. Their friendly banter, observed in passing, and long conversations seated at their locker stalls made it evident early that their friendship extended beyond the practice fields.

“Will’s a very high-character person,” Dillon said. “Easy to get to know. He’s been somebody who, even though he’s a little younger, I’ve really enjoyed having the opportunity to work with and get to know. He’s got a lot of different things he’s passionate about, so it’s fun to always pick his brain and see how he’s viewing things. So, he’s been great to bounce things off of.”

Much like Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs, Dillon is a self-proclaimed “vibes guy.” Upon entering the locker room on the Saturday before their Monday night matchup against the Chargers, it was impossible to ignore the gigantic inflatable Easter bunny stationed in the back. This was the brainchild of Dillon, who dubbed the larger-than-life-sized rabbit as the “Positivity Bunny.”

That idea wasn’t a team-wide decision, but rather Dillon’s off-the-cuff attempt at bringing smiles and levity to the workplace. The “Positivity Bunny” proved to be short-lived – it didn’t survive the week – but the gesture offered a glimpse into Dillon’s mindset.

The veteran considers his “superpower” to be making people laugh. Some of the tactics he’s employed includes wearing cut-off pants and pink gloves, along with incessant joke-cracking. But Dillon wasn’t always versed in lightening the atmosphere. He entered the league in 2020 as a second-round pick, on the heels of a record-setting career at Boston College in which he set the program’s all-time rushing record (4,382). He’d always been the focal point of an offense and was accustomed to volume usage.

As he quickly learned when working in tandem with former Packers runnig back Aaron Jones, touches weren’t always going to be consistent, embedding in him to appreciate the reps he did get. The experience taught him a lot about himself, bringing to light an understanding that he can impact the team without always having to be ball-centric.

It’s a chapter of his career that’s contributed to shaping how he carries himself on the field and in life, he says, as a proud family man with a passion for impacting others.

“Football is a kid’s game,” he added. “It’s a lot of fun, but the world can make it very stressful. And so, I just try to remind everybody – myself sometimes, too – to breathe and enjoy and laugh a little bit. We’re all gonna make some mistakes, nobody plays perfect, just go out here and have fun.

“Enjoy the days, even when it’s monotonous. So, that’s what I feel like I can do, not playing as much; how can I bring some joy to the guys who are? How can I remind myself to just go out there and have fun? How could I impact the team? And I try to do it in a positive way and try to keep the spirits lifted.”

As Nick Sirianni has said, not everyone’s role on the 53-man roster is the same, but everyone’s contributions are vitally important to the success of the Eagles.

For Dillon, his impact is felt behind the scenes, though he’s embraced it with open arms and an admirable authenticity. But an NFL season strikes a similar parallel to a marathon, and the inevitable ebbs and flows that come with it can be unpredictable.

Circumstances sometimes have a way of altering one’s outlook. And in light of the Eagles prioritizing health ahead of a looming playoff run, Dillon is likely to have an opportunity to don the Kelly Green threads for the first time Sunday, for a regular season finale in which he should conceivably have a role.

His response to the sentiment, as you might expect, was infused with eagerness and perspective.

“I’m always excited,” he said. “I obviously love football, so whatever that looks like, however much, anytime you put on those pads and represent the Eagles, it’s a great opportunity. Hopefully, try to be the first guy out there and spend as much time as I can out there. But unbelievable opportunity a lot of guys have this week, to just get some film out there, to play and go get a win.”

— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com