3 pending free agents the Packers could surprisingly re-sign in 2024.

The Green Bay Packers will likely move on from several of their unrestricted free agents in the offseason.

Josiah Deguara, Jon Runyan, and Yosh Nijman are among the players already being phased out on offense and could be replaced when their contracts expire in March. They will need to turn things around in the final six games to make a case for a new deal.

Some players are already doing that. Multiple Packers pending free agents looked destined to leave in the offseason, but their recent performances may force the front office to rethink that.

These three players could surprisingly land new contracts in Green Bay.

Jonathan Owens

The difference four days make. Jonathan Owens had arguably his worst performance of the season against the Los Angeles Chargers. He made an awful missed tackle to give up a costly 51-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

However, Owens was unstoppable last week against the Detroit Lions. It seemed that every time a Lions player had the ball, Owens was there to shut down the play. He made 12 tackles, one tackle for loss, and smartly scooped up a Rashan Gary forced fumble to score his first career defensive touchdown.

Owens is one of three Packers safeties with expiring contracts. If he can build on his Thanksgiving performance, Green Bay may bring back Owens in the offseason.

AJ Dillon

AJ Dillon made a poor start to the regular season, but he has stepped up significantly as the year has gone on. Dillon struggled to get past the first defender earlier in the season, going down far too easily. That problem was worsened by the Packers’ awful run-blocking, causing Dillon to get regularly stopped behind the line of scrimmage.

The run-blocking hasn’t improved, but Dillon has. Green Bay’s offensive line has dominated in pass protection but offered nothing in the run game. According to ESPN, the Packers rank second in pass block win rate but 28th in run block win rate.

But Dillon is playing with physicality and making plays in every phase, whether it’s running hard, blocking, or as a pass-catcher. Even when the stat sheet doesn’t back up Dillon’s strong performances, he is making an impact.

Where Dillon has made a significant improvement is as a receiver. Dillon made only three catches for 25 yards in the opening five games. In the previous six games, Dillon has 16 receptions for 159 yards.

He is often there for a dump-off pass when Jordan Love needs to check it down, and Dillon has shown an ability to pick up yards after the catch. Last week, he even hurdled a Lions defender to pick up a first down, turning it into a 22-yard gain.

We are seeing explosive plays at important times. Another example was his career-high 40-yard run against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With Aaron Jones missing so much time, the Packers have relied on Dillon to make plays despite the lack of help from the offensive line. With Jones facing an uncertain future in 2024, Green Bay may decide to offer Dillon a one- or two-year deal.

Rudy Ford

Rudy Ford wasn’t guaranteed to start for much of training camp. Now, he may be one of the Packers’ long-term solutions at the safety position. He is having an outstanding season.

Ford has played eight games this year, already making a career-high 58 tackles, four pass defenses, and two interceptions.

He has been excellent in coverage. According to Pro Football Reference, Ford is allowing a passer rating of only 54.4 on balls thrown his way, a career-best.

And he is even better in zone coverage. According to PFF, Ford has allowed eight receptions on 16 targets for 79 yards and two interceptions, with quarterbacks earning a passer rating of just 24.7.

Not only is Ford not giving away many completions, but he also comes up with game-changing plays. He now has five interceptions in his past 16 games for the Packers, going back to last season.

Ford, Jonathan Owens, and Darnell Savage are free agents in the offseason. The Packers need to figure out who their future starters are at the safety position. Ford has been outstanding and could land a new multi-year deal in the offseason. That was anything but guaranteed just a few months ago. Ford should start for the Packers in 2024.