If you rewind to the beginning of the season, one player that was criticized, and rightfully so, was AJ Dillon. With Aaron Jones going down with an injury in week one, Dillon had the opportunity to solidify himself as a starting-caliber running back in the NFL, but he failed to do that.

As the season went on, the expectation was that this was likely the last season we would see Dillon in a Packers jersey, but during the last few weeks, he has been the best running back on the field. Has he done enough to earn a second contract with the Green Bay Packers?

The change to Dillon’s performance has jumped off the screen. Through the first five games of the season, he accumulated 219 total yards. With Aaron Jones being out most of those games, the Packers needed more production out of Dillon. The offensive was underperforming and one of the biggest reasons was because the Packers could not rely on the run game. Whether it was due to Dillon’s play or the offensive line’s performance doesn’t really matter. The Packers need the run game to be functional to have a chance to win a game.

During the last five games for the Packers, Dillon has 332 total yards. The run game has still remained inconsistent at times, even with Jones’ return, but the biggest boost in Dillon’s play has come in the pass game. Not only has he been a great check-down back for Love, but his pass blocking has been incredible. He is consistently picking up blitzes and allowing Love to have more time in the pocket.

One thing LaFleur loves is skill players blocking at a high level. He consistently praises receivers who do well in run blocking, so Dillon’s effort and performance in pass protection has to be catching the eye of the offensive coaches.

Another area of improvement in Dillon’s game is the aggression that he is running with. At times at the beginning of the season, it seemed that Dillon forgot he is a mountain of a man at 6 foot and 247 pounds, but in the second half of the season, you have seen him lowering his shoulder, initiating contact, and fighting for those extra yards. In weeks 1-5, Dillon averaged 2.33 yards after contact, but during weeks 7-10, he averaged 3.26 yards after contact.

Has AJ Dillon been perfect in the second half of the season? Absolutely not, no Packer has. However, he is playing closer to the expectations that we set for him coming into the year. Aaron Jones is clearly the best running back on the Packers but at times this season we have seen Dillon step up and carry the load at times. Against the Steelers, Dillon was the best running back for the Packers. The Packers do not need to be RB1, but when Jones is having an off day or is injured, the team needs him to step up and continue production.

We will see this offseason if the Packers think he has earned a second contract, but if he continues to play at this level for the rest o.f the season, it would be hard to see the Packers letting Dillon walk in free agency