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Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was transparent about his feelings toward AJ Dillion’s latest injury as the running back's health status heading into the regular season remains unknown.
Dillon suffered a neck stinger in a joint practice against the Denver Broncos last week, and LaFleur was asked about the injury before camp on Wednesday, to which he responded, “Absolutely, there’s a concern,” per Sports Illustrated’s Bill Huber.
Dillon, who missed the final month of the 2023 season with a similar ailment, says the two injuries are separate.
“They’re definitely not all alike,” Dillon said after Wednesday’s practice. He said he’s “waiting to hear back and get all the information” following tests, per SI.
Dillon explained the difference between last week’s injury and what happened last year.
“They’re a lot different,” he explained. “Some are common; a lot of guys reference getting a stinger at some point. I’ve had stingers in the past before the incident last year. As you know, certain things happen. Some are more severe than others. You kind of look at it differently but, like I said, we’re waiting to get opinions back. See all the information before we make any statements that are untrue.”
In the meantime, Dillion is focused on the brighter side of things, including his attendance and overall progress throughout training camp, which gives him comfort while preparing for the upcoming NFL season with his teammates.
“The good thing is, before this, I have not missed any OTAs, practices for anything. I haven’t missed any days of camp,” Dillon said.
Packers will remain cautious with AJ Dillon’s recovery
Still, Dillion knows nothing’s guaranteed, and the Packers will remain careful between now and the beginning of the NFL regular season. They won’t rush Dillon to make a quick return.
“It’s human nature,” Dillon said, per SI. “But there is nothing you can do about it. I’m not a doctor, so it’s kind of on their time to let me know what their thoughts are. Our trainers, I think above everything, we want to be safe and smart. You only get one body.
“So, thinking about how we can be out there and be as protected but also go out there and play carefree and go play football the way I want to play football.”
The Packers will conclude their preseason schedule against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.
