Steelers Kevin Dotson's Apathetic Response To Aggressive 2023 Offseason Moves Is A Clear Signal Team Should Move On

The narrative surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers for the last two seasons has been that the poor play of the offensive line stunted the offense. Ben Roethlisberger, Kenny Pickett and Najee Harris were all provided regular passes from the national media that prefer to observe the Steelers from satellite imagery while endlessly dissecting the Dallas Cowboys who have not been in an NFC Championship game this century.

Kevin Dotson was drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft and he started 26 games over the last two seasons. Dotson is very typical of how the Steelers addressed the offensive line in the last few drafts. They waited until later in the draft to bring in talent and then because of a lack of quality options in front of them, created a false impression that they had hit on a mid-round prospect because he was a starter. Dotson spoke to the media at his locker to address his current situation with the Steelers.

“I’m not really mad,” Dotson said. “It is just part of the game and there is nothing I can do about it. There is no reason to worry about it, I feel like I change, if I go somewhere else or if I stay here, I feel like I’ll get my opportunity.”

Dotson has already demoted himself mentally, and unless things change quickly, he may be out of a job altogether in Pittsburgh. Omar Khan and Andy Weidl are not content with the illusion of an improving offensive line. The pair went out and signed free-agent guards Isaac Seumalo and Nate Herbig to compete with Dotson and James Daniels. Dotson was a constant source of irritation last season and he did improve from a rapidly spinning turnstile as a blocker, he is not in the same category of player as Seumalo who is one of the best guards in the entire league.

“The last nine games of the season, I feel like I was going in my stride,” Dotson continued. “I felt I was getting better, they was telling me I was better. They was talking a lot of good stuff during the offseason.”

The Steelers' offensive line was not great in 2021 but they did improve last season, especially in the second half of the year when the team went 7-2. The line improved throughout the season, but Kevin Colbert after ignoring the offensive line for the better part of the last decade, had lowered expectations to the point that fans were accepting mediocre line play. Worse, they viewed it as a vast improvement over the abysmal performances they had to endure in the previous one and a half seasons.

“I still can’t blame them,” Dotson concluded. "I guess it’s part of the game.”

The NFL was dubbed as an acronym ‘Not for Long’ years ago by Steelers nemesis Jerry Glanville. Football is a business, but the resignation to his fate that Dotson is displaying is not noble. Seumalo is one of the top guards in the NFL, but Dotson’s surrender of his position is precisely the reason he should not have had it to begin with.

Steelers First-Round Bust Spilling Sour Grapes On His Way Out Of Pittsburgh

The Steelers did Dotson a huge disservice by making his ascension to the starting guard position too easy and too fast. When faced with the first real competition of his young career he is already folding. It is very similar to the attitude that Devin Bush Jr displayed last season when the Steelers failed to pick up his option.

Dotson has time to fight and perhaps gain a roster spot in Pittsburgh, but if he is choosing the attitude that it is a big league and someone will pay him to play, he already has a foot out the door. The Steelers chose wisely in bringing in superior talent and desire to replace him, but based on how easily he gave up it doesn’t seem like it was a tough choice.

What do you think Steeler Nation? Did Dotson give up way too easily on his starting position or is it a blessing in disguise? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.

#SteelerNation