After infrequently flirting with greatness, the Washington Commanders traded Jahan Dotson to the Philadelphia Eagles. This a bold statement, considering the Commanders are in the throes of a rebuild after drafting a potential superstar franchise quarterback, Jayden Daniels. The new arrival in the City of Brotherly Love spoke to the press and reflected on the trade.

“It was a shock, you know? Just because all I know in the NFL is Washington Commanders,” Dotson said. “But at the end of the day, it's a business, and I understand that very much so … I'm not gonna take it personal until I see Washington.”

Dotson arrived in Washington in the first round, as the No. 16 overall pick out of Penn State. He caught 35 passes for 523 yards and seven touchdowns in only 12 games. There just wasn't much improvement in his season season, only catching 49 passes for 518 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games.

The Commanders received a 2025 third-round and two seventh-round picks. The Eagles received Dotson and a 2024 fifth-round choice.

What to make of the Commanders trade of Jahan Dotson and his future with the Eagles

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In this era of big wide receiver contract extensions, the Commanders wisely got out from under of Dotson's contract. Sure, they could have kept him, given him another year to develop and evaluated whether he should receive a fifth-year option in 2026. Apparently the Commanders did all that calculus and a trade with the Eagles made more sense.

Even if they were down on him, he's on his rookie deal. So why not retain him, given his low cost, and see what happens? The Commanders' proactive approach in trading him should inform us that the franchise may feel they already have the answer: in their estimation, he's not good enough. In all likelihood, the Commanders must like Luke McCaffrey, a quarterback prospect turned wide receiver who was the final pick of the third round out of Rice. He stands to see a big boost to his playing time right away.

It's also possible they're comfortable giving more playing time to Dyami Brown, another receiver who showed some flash in 2023 and showed some improvement in training camp.

Dotson will have two chances at revenge. First, in Week 11, the Eagles host the Commanders on Thursday, November 14, at 8:15 p.m. EST. The second contest on the road in Week 16 will be played on Sunday, December 22, at 1 p.m. EST. And Dotson will get his first chance to put on the Eagles' midnight green in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers on Friday, September 6 at 8:15 p.m. EST. The matchup will be the NFL's first-ever game in Brazil.