PITTSBURGH — For any player, it can be a tough admission once a team seemingly moves on and drafts or signs over what was once your starting spot. For Kevin Dotson, that is exactly what happened in the offseason when the team paid Isaac Seumalo to come in and seemingly start at left guard.
However, that does not mean that Dotson is not realistic about where he stands right now on the roster. He understands the business dynamics of the NFL. No one on the Steelers specifically called or talked to Dotson after the signings, but he is reading the tea leaves for what they are at this point.
“You know, there’s nothing I can do about it,” Dotson said. “I just have to go as hard as I can go, hope something happens here or in the future. It’s part of a game.”
Dotson does not feel like there is much competition, either. The team let him know there would be competition once Nate Herbig signed. However, once Seumalo signed on, Dotson became reserved to what was the fact at that point. He feels that once money is paid out in that quantity, the starting job is no longer a competition.
“I mean, once you pay somebody, it’s set in stone regardless,” Dotson said. “It’s almost, I don’t know I couldn’t tell you.”
As it stands, Dotson is set to be one of the top backups along the interior of the offensive line. Herbig, Dotson, Kendrick Green, Spencer Anderson, and others will compete for playing time should an injury happen at some point during the season. No matter how things shake out, Dotson is looking to compete his hardest this season and if an opportunity comes, he’ll take advantage of it.
“The only thing I can do is control what I can control,” Dotson said. “I’ll go out there, work hard, and when the opportunity comes, I’ll be ready. That’s all I can do at this point.”
Dotson enters 2023 on the last year of his four year contract with the Steelers after being picked in the 2020 NFL Draft in the fourth-round. He has had ups and downs throughout his career as a player, including some injuries that held him back throughout his career.
More must-reads: