Despite being selected No. 16 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, wide receiver Jahan Dotson was traded after two seasons with the Commanders to the Eagles.
On Thursday night, Dotson will face his former team with a chance to show Washington what it lost when it traded him in August just before the season began.
Dotson was not only thrown into a new city with just over two weeks to prepare for a trip to Brazil, but a new role as well.
Dotson entered a room where he would be behind two of the league's top receivers in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. On top of that, the Eagles have running back Saquon Barkley and tight end Dallas Goedert.
The Nazareth, PA, native has been adjusting to his role and the offense in Philadelphia each and every day and just because it may not always show up on the stat sheet, Dotson can make big plays.
Whether it was the incredible juggling catch over a Jaguars defender in the Kelly Green game, or a big late catch for a first down against the Browns, Dotson has been improving each week.
"People tend to forget that I was a first-round pick. I can make plays," Dotson said. "Just because I'm the third receiver in this offense, I don't get a lot of opportunities, so I got to make the most of them when they come. But I have the ultimate confidence in myself if the ball's in there that I'm going to come down with it, I'm going to make a play."
The former Penn State Nittany Lion caught 84 passes for 1,041 yards 11 touchdowns in his two seasons in Washington while starting in 26 games.
But to Dotson, Thursday's game against the team that traded him isn't any different than any other game on the schedule this year.
"I'm just trying to treat it like a normal week, it's a short week," Dotson said. "The main thing is the main thing, that's to come out on top and get the W."
Coming off of career highs in receptions and snaps in 2023, the third-year man was ready to continue to grow in the league, but he was traded suddenly and had to adjust to his new city on the fly.
Dotson didn't have much time to go through the actual emotions of being traded.
"(It was) pretty quick, just because I got here so fast. I had one week to kind of learn things and get involved, so I got over it very quickly. I had about a three-hour car ride to get over it and I was able to do that and move on," Dotson said.
While being traded anywhere is different for a player, going within the division makes it even more unique, as a player faces their old team twice a year. But for Dotson, he did not have this game circled, knowing that it won't be the first time he sees Washington.
"It's going to happen regardless twice a year, so it happens when it happens and my job is to come in and be ready and help my team get a win," Dotson said.
Coming off catches of 36 yards against Jacksonville and 27 against Dallas, the speedy receiver will look to make another big play to boost the Eagles' offense under the lights of Thursday Night Football.
As he prepares to face his former team tomorrow night, Dotson had a chance to reflect on his time in Washington.
"It was good, it was a learning experience just like everything else is, but I'm happy to be here," Dotson said. "It's going to be a fun one on Thursday."
But the message remains the same for the Eagles and as players so often say – the most important game is the next one.
"It's just like any other Sunday, Thursday, or Monday, got to go out and get the job done," Dotson said. "We have a good group here and we're able to make plays, so that's what we're going to do." – Written by Liam Wichser
