Packers RB AJ Dillon must respond to his critics on the field

Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon was asked a question and he answered the question. Give him credit for that much.

With that said, if he's tired of hearing criticism from fans and critics alike on social media and elsewhere, that's a battle he's not going to win with sound bites on the media. It's also not a battle he's going to win in the weight room or practice facility, because he certainly looks the part of a big-time, bruising running back at 6-foot, 247 pounds.

He looks like a beast, but in the preseason, fans (and critics) were reminded that he oftentimes hasn't run to his potential — especially in short yardage situations.

That was evident in Green Bay's preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, when he rushed four times for a measly two yards. It brought up frustrations from 2023, when Dillon averaged just 3.4 yards per carry and notched only two touchdowns. Those were a far cry from the sledgehammer numbers the Packers were hoping he'd put up in year four.

And still, when asked about his disappointing preseason showing and the reaction to it on social media, Dillon explained that he couldn't care less about the "feedback".

"In all honesty, if you don't live inside my house your opinion, to me, is so secondary that I couldn't be bothered with it," Dillon told Fox 11's Cody Krupp (h/t Bleacher Report ). "But to anybody on Twitter or whatever, you can't do what we're doing, [so] just enjoy, just watch."

While Dillon is wise to tune out the noise, because it will be of no help to him, he could have certainly approached the question a bit better. Many of those who want him to play better are fans of the Packers, after all, so to tell them that their opinion is meaningless is a bit of a slap in the face to his own fanbase.

Of course, there's also the fact that the best way to shut up his critics is to go out and actually produce, but despite being a fan favorite for his normally cheery disposition and his love of the Green Bay area, he's proven to be nothing more than a run-of-the-mill backup in his four seasons as an NFL running back.

He's good enough to play a role, but if he can't even do his one main job at a high level — which is picking up tough yards — he may find himself without a team sooner rather than later.