Former Steelers Guard Kevin Dotson Opens Up About Surprising Trade: "I Just Felt Kind Of Blindsided"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have improved their offensive line in recent years. This made some of their players expendable, including guard Kevin Dotson. A fourth-round draft pick in 2020, Dotson became a full-time starter in 2022, but the Steelers signed former Philadelphia Eagles guard Isaac Seumalo to a three-year contract over the 2023 offseason. Fans weren't surprised when they heard Dotson was traded to the Los Angeles Rams before the start of the season, but apparently Dotson was. 

The trade gave Los Angeles Dotson and Pittsburgh's fifth-round pick for 2024 and a sixth-rounder in 2025. The Steelers got the Rams' fourth-round pick in 2024 and a 2025 fifth-round pick. Dotson joined Ari Meirov on NFL Spotlight with Ari Meirov, who was curious how Dotson felt about the trade. 

"I just felt kind of blindsided a little bit overall," explained Dotson about his trade to the Rams. "I didn't really understand. I didn't believe that I did bad production-wise or anything like that. I was told that this is competition, you're going to compete for it, but you can kind of tell when it's not. Once it did that, I just knew that I couldn't mess my reputation up by being a cancer to the team or anything like that, so I just kept it rolling. Always kept a good attitude. Just waiting for my chance to go somewhere else. I was gonna make my name on it. It's one of those things where there's no point in worrying about it. I'm going to do my thing once I get a chance."

When the Steelers signed Seumalo in March of 2023, Dotson made fatalistic comments about how he could do nothing about it. He said teams pay players like Seumalo a three-year $24 million contract because they plan for him to start. Fans weren't happy with the way he seemed to be giving up. The media felt like the Steelers' deal with the Rams was a win, considering Dotson wasn't starter-level at the time. 

Dotson has now completed two seasons in Los Angeles, and Pittsburgh fans are shocked by how well he has performed. Some complain Pittsburgh can't properly develop players, particularly on offense. However, others cite the lack of offensive leadership, the quarterback carousel, and Matt Canada's tenure as offensive coordinator, regardless of the reason why Dotson is flourishing in the City of Angels. 

Dotson was recently named one of the best interior linemen in the league -- helping the Rams develop a decisive run game and made the playoffs twice in the past two years. Pro Football Focus gave him a grade of 77.7. They said 2023 was his "breakout season," where he was the second-highest graded guard in football. Despite a drop in his pass-blocking grade in 2024, they said he was dominant in run-blocking. He had three games in 2024 with a PFF run-blocking grade of at least 90.0. 

Kevin Dotson Was A Steelers Fan Before He Was A Steeler

Despite being from Louisiana, Dotson grew up in a house full of Steelers fans, including his father. He told Meirov that from a young age, he developed a plan: be a Florida Gator and then a Steeler. 

The Florida part didn't come to fruition, as Dotson went to the University of Louisiana. However, he said getting drafted to play with guys he considered heroes was surreal. When he arrived in Pittsburgh, he said Ben Roethlisberger, Maurkice Pouncey, and the rest of the offense welcomed him. He said Roethlisberger even gave him a game ball to take to his father during his rookie season. 

Perhaps that is why the trade stung so badly. While Dotson understood the business side, getting traded didn't just represent a scary new phase, but also signaled a dream's end. However, Dotson has shown Pittsburgh precisely what they missed out on.  

Are you surprised Dotson felt blindsided? Tell us what you think below! 

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