Ex-Steelers Fourth-Rounder ‘Felt Blindsided’ By Pittsburgh Trade

Kevin Dotson last took the field for the Pittsburgh Steelers three years ago, but the 28-year-old, now a member of the Los Angeles Rams, remains caught off guard by his 2023 trade.

Pittsburgh selected Dotson in the fourth round (135th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Louisiana. Dotson spent three seasons with the Steelers, logging 30 starts across 39 appearances before the organization traded him to the Rams. The change of scenery from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles allowed Dotson to blossom before signing a three-year, $48 million contract with the Rams. So, while it all worked out for Dotson, the five-year veteran offered an honest assessment when asked to reflect on his trade from the Steelers, which Dotson did not expect.

Dotson, as a matter of fact, felt “blindsided.”

“I kind of felt blindsided a little bit,” Dotson told Ari Merov of The 33rd Team. “Overall, I didn’t really understand. I didn’t believe that I did bad production-wise or anything like that. And I was told this was competition, you’re going to compete for it, but you can kind of tell when 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.”

The Steelers netted a 2024 fourth-round selection and a 2025 fifth-round selection in the trade, all while Dotson has developed into one of the league’s most reliable guards. Los Angeles made it out with a solid long-term guard candidate, meanwhile, Dotson received everything he worked toward earning in Pittsburgh.

Dotson’s growth with the Rams has also extended to his mindset. He’s since taken the high road when looking back at playing for Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, with an appreciation for the experience.

“It was good,” Dotson recalled. “You kind of learn that sometimes negativity is needed. You can’t be coddled. You can’t be eased into a lot of situations. If they tell you to play some position, you gotta play it. They don’t really care if you’ve never played it before. They paid you to do a job, and you gotta do the job. That’s something I learned that kind of sticks with me now because if I get into a situation, I gotta make it work no matter what. I think that really sticks with me.”

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