Eagles Urged To Go ‘All In’ on $15 Million Former First Round Pick

Every year, in ever sport you love, teams win championships with an unexpected boost from a player no one was counting on.

Sometimes it’s really big, crazy moments. Like when New York Giants wide receiver David Tyree’s famous “Helmet Catch” against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. That followed a regular season in which Tyree had just 4 receptions for 35 yards and no touchdowns.

Sometimes it’s not as flashy but just as meaningful. Like what Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jahan Dotson did in the team’s run to winning Super Bowl LIX.

After just 19 receptions for 216 yards and no touchdowns in the regular season, Dotson had a touchdown catch in an NFC Wild Card Round win over the Green Bay Packers, then set up the Eagles’ first touchdown with a 28-yard reception in the first quarter of a 40-22 Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs on February 9.

While Dotson may have grossly underperformed for most of the regular season, if we look at the last 5 games he played last year — 4 playoff games and the regular season finale — we can see a player who looks like a viable WR3 option for Philadelphia in 2025.

If you spread out Dotson’s averages over the last 5 games he played in over a 17-game season, it comes out to roughly 34 receptions, 500 yards and 4 touchdowns — pretty much what any team is hoping for out of a WR3.

With his postseason success and the fact they’re only on the hook for $2.7 million in 2025, it’s becoming more and more clear the Eagles plan to go all in on the former first round pick as their WR3 option .

Dotson Carried Burdened of First Round Expectations

The original sin with Dotson was is he was selected in the first round to begin with, with the Washington Commanders and former head coach Ron Rivera taking him No. 16 overall in the 2022 NFL draft.

Playing on a 4-year, $15 million rookie contract, Dotson struggled through his first 2 seasons — in relative terms — with 84 receptions, 1,044 and 11 touchdowns in 2022 and 2023 combined. That’s bad production for a first round pick but pretty solid production for a WR3.

Fortunately for Dotson, the Eagles were looking for a WR3 behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith when they traded for him in August 2024. That deal included a 2025 third round pick, 2025 fifth round pick and 2025 seventh round pick to the Commanders in exchange for Dotson and a 2025 fifth round pick.

After having his fifth year option declined by the Eagles on April 23 — one full week before the deadline — if Dotson can show he is a competent WR3 he could be looking a pretty solid payday in 2026 free agency. That might mean something along the lines of the 1-year, $10 million contract wide receiver and Dotson’s former Commanders teammate Dyami Brown signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2025 free agency cycle.

If the 2025 NFL draft is any indication, the Eagles are full speed ahead with Dotson as WR3 in 2025. Philadelphia didn’t use a single one of its 10 picks on a wide receiver or tight end — great news for the skill position players at those spots already on the roster.