The Philadelphia Eagles have seemingly pushed all the right buttons on their way to another championship but not all of their moves have hit the jackpot. The Eagles have had their fair share of mistakes, and it helped general manager Howie Roseman pivot from his previous strategy when Philadelphia won its first title in 2017.
In the case of one addition, a split may be needed so both sides can accomplish their goals this season. The Eagles took the first step in that process on Wednesday afternoon and it could have a failed addition looking for work in the weeks leading up to next season.
Eagles Decline Fifth-Year Option on Jahan Dotson
According to FOX Sports’s Jordan Schultz, the Eagles will decline the 2026 fifth-year option on wide receiver Jahan Dotson. The 16th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Dotson was traded along with a 2025 fifth-round pick from the Washington Commanders in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick and two seventh-round picks before the start of this season.
#Eagles are declining the 5th-year option on WR Jahan Dotson, per source.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 23, 2025
This puts the former No. 16 pick in a contract year for this upcoming season. pic.twitter.com/rLFcmlBEMB
Dotson didn’t have a catch in the Eagles’ season-opening win over the Green Bay Packers in Brazil and didn’t have a multi-catch game until Week 3. His season never got off the ground from there as he caught just 19 passes for 216 yards, and his 0.55 yards per route run were the lowest among 112 qualifying receivers with 20% of the league lead in targets according to Pro Football Focus.
Coming into a new team has it’s difficulties with picking up a playbook, but Dotson had plenty of opportunities to make an impact. Wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith both spent significant time on the shelf due to injury, and Dallas Goedert’s presence opened another chance for targets as Philadelphia was without one of the NFL’s best pass-catching tight ends.
Philadelphia’s shift to a rushing-based offense led by Saquon Barkley didn’t help, and Dotson finds himself buried on the depth chart heading into a contract year. With Brown and Smith returning, the Eagles also have Johnny Wilson, Terrace Marshall, Anias Smith, Danny Gray, and Elijah Cooks battling for a roster spot. There’s also the chance Philadelphia could take a wide receiver in the draft, putting more pressure on Dotson to perform.
With a $1.4 million cap hit for next season, releasing Dotson at the end of training camp would cost next to nothing, making Wednesday’s decision a key one in getting rid of one of their biggest mistakes.