A.J. Dillon’s revenge game might vanish before it begins — if trade whispers turn out to be true.
The NFL can be cruel sometimes. It builds players up. It tears them down. It batters bodies and never apologizes. Opportunities come and go. A.J. Dillon touched the football five times for the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6, and we haven’t seen him on the field to do anything ever since that happened.
Dillon had, shall we say, a rough night. He fielded two kickoffs. It didn’t go well. Try a 12.5 yards-per-return average on for size. He was given one carry. It netted two yards. He caught two passes, but the most memorable parts of his night were a fumble and a kick return where he didn’t field the ball well.
Upon being signed, his role seemed clear. He’d back up Saquon Barkley and help shoulder some of the tough carries, but things have changed. Again, pro football isn’t always nice to all of its employees.
A.J. Dillon is expected to be shipped off by the trade deadline.
Dillon was a healthy scratch in Week 7. He was active in Week 8, but didn’t see any action with the Eagles’ offense as Tank Bigsby has established himself as the rightful RB2. It’s the bye week. Philadelphia’s next opponent is the Green Bay Packers, but if one NFL insider’s theory is correct, Dillon won’t be playing in that game either. He may not even be on the Eagles’ roster.
Tim McManus contributed his theory to a recent ESPN write-up,“2025 NFL trade deadline: Players to watch, team needs, buzz,” which was compiled by several voices. He believes Dillon could be moved before the NFL’s trade deadline.
“Running back AJ Dillon. No, not Brown — he’s not expected to be going anywhere despite heavy speculation and occasional cryptic social media posts. The other AJ makes some sense, though. Tank Bigsby’s emergence in recent weeks (he rushed for over 100 yards against the Giants after Philly traded for him in September) has pushed Dillon down to fourth on the depth chart behind Saquon Barkley, Bigsby and Will Shipley. Dillon has been solid for Philadelphia this season, but there’s not much of a role for him currently.”
If there was any game where we thought Dillon might get some carries, it was undoubtedly this game. If anyone loves a good revenge game, it’s Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni.
At the time this story was published, there hadn’t been any serious talk of A.J. Dillon’s move, at least not any that was audible. We’ll see what happens at or around November 4th. Teams have until 4 pm EST to make their final trades of the 2025-26 NFL season.
