Give Me A Home …

PHILADELPHIA — When the Eagles acquired Jahan Dotson at the dawn of the 2024 season, it was a maneuver that was universally viewed as shrewd, one primed to pay dividends once the third-year wideout was fully versed in then-coordinator Kellen Moore’s offense.

The compensation was rich — the Eagles parted with a conditional third-round pick and a pair of seventh-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft — given Dotson’s modest production over two seasons with Washington, but the arrival of a former first-round pick furnished the Eagles with arguably the deepest receiving trio in the league on paper.

The expected functionality of a reimagined offense under Moore, who’d previously implemented the No. 3 receiver into previous interactions of his offenses, only fueled the appeal.

Only Dotson never ended up factoring all that much into the Eagles’ equation during his two seasons in Philadelphia. For perspective, his regular season production amounted to 478 receiving yards and one touchdown on 37 receptions (69 targets) over that span. That’s the reality that accompanies playing on a loaded, albeit low-volume, passing attack that predominantly runs through wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert.

To his credit, Dotson, a focal point in every offense to this point, didn’t make a fuss. He never called attention to himself or even uttered anything remotely close that could be perceived as feeling undervalued. Instead, he chose to focus on the positives, like learning under Brown and Smith and embracing the tough coaching that brought the best out of him. He relished the togetherness, the family-like bond shared among his teammates.

In a moment of reflection during locker cleanout last week, Dotson responded to a question regarding what he learned about himself during his two seasons in South Philadelphia.

“That I have a lot of patience, that I have a lot of stuff that I can still grow in,” he said. “A lot of stuff that I can still learn. I’ve been playing football for a very long time, and coming here, I felt like I knew it all. And playing next to A.J. and Smitty, you learn that much more, and it makes you that much more of a better football player.

“Being next to great coaches … my coach [wide receivers coach Aaron Morehead] … I’ve learned all this stuff from him and being able to be coached hard and coming out to practice everyday with that mindset that it’s like a game. It’s just different things that I’ve learned, just from being here, that will benefit me down the road, being a football player. And not only that — but life in general.”

WR Jahan Dotson will look for a long-term deal in free agency.

The Eagles last spring, unsurprisingly, elected to decline Dotson’s fifth-year option, making him a free agent in March. While anything can happen in the coming months, let’s focus on here and now. To suggest that Dotson’s contributions were incremental would be disingenuous.

While linebacker Oren Burks ultimately set the tone on the opening kickoff of the Wild Card round of the playoffs last winter, powering a Super Bowl title run, it was Dotson who first got the Eagles on the board, securing an 11-yard touchdown from Jalen Hurts.

Then there was Super Bowl LIX. With the Eagles in Chiefs territory and eyeing the game’s first points, on a 2nd-and-11 from the Kansas City 28, Hurts hoisted a rainbow down the right sideline to Dotson — who nearly took it the distance and into the end zone. The connection was initially ruled a touchdown, but it was determined that Dotson didn’t break the plane.

The Eagles drill ball security to an extreme degree, so the receiver didn’t extend for fear of having the ball dislodged. Smart player in a high-leverage moment, even if it cost Dotson a Super Bowl touchdown.

Still, the play proved pivotal, as Hurts called his own number from one yard out on the ensuing play to give the Eagles an early lead. While those moments were few and far between, and required patience, Dotson made the most of his opportunities when his number was called.

“I definitely had patience before, but I really had to gain a different type of patience being here,” he said. “It’s really some tough times, being able to not really maximize what I could do on the field. But it’s a part of this offense. I enjoyed my two years here. I learned a lot from being able to play alongside some of the best receivers in the league. I feel like it was a great experience for me, something I really needed in my career.”

But?

“But I’m ready to maximize my talent,” he added, “because I know I have a lot of good football ahead of me. I know I can help a football team win a lot of games, and I’m ready to do that.”

That football team might well be the Eagles, unlikely as it appears at this time. Dotson doesn’t turn 26 until late March and has minimal tread on the tires. He offers positional versatility, though aligning outside is probably the more natural fit, reliable hands and a selfless mentality. As he said, he has a lot of good football ahead of him, wherever that may be.

The Eagles are also high on second-year wide receiver Darius Cooper, who saw an uptick in playing time throughout the season and appears poised to inherit Dotson’s snaps next season. Dotson lauded his locker neighbor, offering that he believes Cooper is going to be a “hell of a football player.” He lauded Cooper’s work ethic and added that he was “really proud” of Cooper for coming in and making the most of his opportunities.

When asked what he’ll be looking for in potential free agent suitors, Dotson first mentioned fit, but emphasized that he’s looking to land somewhere he’s “extremely valued.” He also desires a destination with a strong culture, much like he experienced during his two-year stint in Philadelphia, but the final part of his answer also indicated a preference for a long-term stay — wherever that might be.

“And a place that maybe, someday,” he said, “I can call home.”

— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com