When the Philadelphia Eagles traded for receiver Jahan Dotson in August 2024, it seemed the franchise had found the perfect third receiver behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Dotson had 518 receiving yards in the 2023 season with the Washington Commanders, handing the pass-catcher back-to-back seasons with over 500 yards and a combined 11 touchdowns.
These are numbers that Dotson hasn't come close to matching playing nearly two seasons with Philly. His debut Eagles season was quiet and that's continued into 2025, as he only has 12 catches for 209 yards and a touchdown in 14 games, only catching 50.0% of his 24 targets.
This helps paint a clear picture as to why the expiring contract of Dotson is one the Eagles are unlikely to revisit.
Eagles-Dotson Experiment Is Reaching Point of No Return
The Eagles aren't going to have a difficult time finding an inexpensive veteran or a rookie addition to come in and fill Dotson's spot if the two sides do split.
Even if you discount Jalen Hurts based on the quarterback's up-and-down play there are three incredibly explosive threats in Brown, Smith, and Saquon Barkley that any team must first game plan for. Dotson seemingly had enough potential to benefit from joining that mix, but he hasn't, and now he must prove himself down the stretch.
The Eagles are looking to defend its 2025 Super Bowl run, setting the stage for any surprise contributor change their standing in the organization with impressive postseason contributions. Dotson finding a way to capitalize on the remaining matchups — including two against his former Commanders teammates — could get him back into the fans and team's good graces.
Dotson's contract is up at the end of the season, so a divorce won't cost the Eagles anything if they're ready to move on. Perhaps they could re-sign him to a cheap, one-year contract; however, there's a chance they may have already seen enough to avoid that path.
Regardless of what route they choose, it is clear Dotson's time in Philly is very quickly approaching its end. After what has been a frustrating season offensively the Eagles will be looking to make changes with the most likely culprits being improving questionable depth options and shaking up the coaching staff.
For Dotson, he is likely to get another chance based on what he accomplished his first two seasons in the league. Piling up double-digit touchdowns while playing with quarterbacks Taylor Heinicke and Sam Howell points to a level of talent that simply hasn't traveled to Philadelphia.
At the end of the day, a fresh start would clearly benefit both sides.