All the talk this week in Philadelphia has been about Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown with his latest drama, but one other offensive playmaker could be on NFL life support going into their Week 12 game against the Dallas Cowboys.
This season has been another quiet one for receiver Jahan Dotson, who's been the primary slot guy for the Eagles. Dotson went into the season with some pressure on him after the team decided not to pick up his fifth-year option on his rookie deal, which he originally signed with the Washington Commanders when they selected him in the first round before the trade to Philly last year.
All the attention has been on Brown, venting his frustrations, DeVonta Smith, the leading receiver, and tight end Dallas Goedert, who leads the team in touchdowns with seven in a contract year. Dotson's contract year with the Eagles has not been great, and he now leaves the Cowboys game as one that could save his NFL career or send it into the abyss.
Examining Dotson's 2025 season and what he needs to do vs. Cowboys
The 2025 campaign has featured Dotson's highlight plays. Against these same Cowboys in the Eagles' 24-20 win in Week 1, he had the only big play for the team with a 51-yard reception, finishing as the leading receiver with 59 yards on three receptions. Against the New York Giants in their 38-20 win, Dotson had a spectacular second-half 40-yard touchdown catch where he Mossed a defender to grab the ball.
Outside of those two plays, it's been pretty much radio silence for the wide receiver. Dotson has only caught 10 passes for 194 yards and one touchdown.
Technically, compared to his 19 receptions for 216 yards in 2024, this season is shaping up to be better for Dotson. Unfortunately, he really needs to do more if he wants to either stay with the Eagles or find a nice contract with a new team in the offseason.
Part of the blame can be placed on Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, who promised big things with Dotson before the season but has not backed them up. Patullo preached that the team did not know how to use Dotson last year and figured out in training camp what they can do now with him, which just felt like a straight-up lie.
With that being said, Dotson has had almost two years to prove himself and hasn't been able to. He's not getting open enough, and honestly, it's hard with Brown, Smith, and Goedert all on the same team as him.
Read more:Jalyx Hunt's beautiful tribute for Cowboys defender Marshawn Kneeland in Week 12
It's looking more and more like Dotson won't be in the midnight green or Kelly green uniforms in 2026, but Dotson still has a chance to control his own destiny by coming up big against the Cowboys.