The Dallas Cowboys are in desperate need of a running back, and they may turn to a former Green Bay Packers player for their answer.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL media, the Cowboys are one of several teams interested in free-agent halfback AJ Dillon, who will almost certainly not be returning to the Packers.

Green Bay signed Josh Jacobs earlier this week and released Aaron Jones, so it will probably find its No. 2 back either through the NFL Draft or on the cheap.

Dillon is coming off of a rough 2023 campaign in which he played 15 games and rushed for 613 yards and a couple of touchdowns while averaging a meager 3.4 yards per carry. He added 22 catches for 223 yards.

The 25-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Boston College, was selected by the Packers in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

He had a rather uneventful rookie year, registering 242 yards and a pair of scores on the ground. The following season, Dillon’s role began to grow and he enjoyed the best year of his career to date, posting 803 yards and five touchdowns as a rusher, logging 4.3 yards per attempt. He also hauled in 34 receptions for 313 yards while reaching the end zone twice.

Dillon then took a step back in 2022, tallying 770 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging a pedestrian 4.1 yards per tote. He caught 28 passes for 206 yards.

That regression set him up for a very poor 2023, which has resulted in Green Bay heading in another direction.

Dillon surely was not the Cowboys’ first choice at running back, but with big names like Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Jacobs flying off the board, Dallas may be left with no other solutions.

The Cowboys went into the offseason with a very tight salary cap situation, so their hands have been tied in free agency.

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