Jahan Dotson as he faces his old Commanders team is focused on making the most of his Eagles opportunities

It took Jahan Dotson all of three hours to get over his trade from the Washington Commanders to the Eagles in late August.

Dotson, the Commanders’ pick at No. 16 in first round of the 2022 draft out of Penn State, used the duration of the car ride up to Philadelphia to process the emotions that came with the move. Once he arrived at the NovaCare Complex, Dotson didn’t have time to dwell on the trade — he immediately immersed himself in the playbook, seeking to get up to speed in a matter of two weeks before making his Eagles debut in the season opener.

Eventually, Dotson knew that his first game against his former team, a division rival, would come around. But the 24-year-old wide receiver denied circling Thursday’s date on the calendar when he initially swapped allegiances.

“It’s going to happen, regardless, twice a year,” Dotson said Tuesday. “So it happens when it happens. My job is to come in and be ready and help my team get a W.”

With the Eagles’ Thursday night matchup against the Commanders looming, Dotson figures to continue to carve out a role in the passing game behind A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert. That process started off slowly. Dotson went into the bye week with the fewest yards per route run among NFL receivers with at least 100 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

But the 5-foot-11, 182-pound receiver has been more productive in recent weeks, even as the Eagles have increasingly leaned into their Saquon Barkley-led rushing attack. Dotson generated a pair of explosive plays in the last two contests, including a 36-yard reception against the Jacksonville Jaguars and a 27-yarder against the Dallas Cowboys. Given the talent ahead of Dotson on the depth chart, Kellen Moore emphasized the significance of his two momentum-sustaining plays in those Eagles victories.

“We all would love every guy to get a whole bunch of catches every game because we think the world of all these guys,” the Eagles offensive coordinator said. “And for him to hang in there and then make two big-time catches, each one the last two weeks, I think goes to his consistency and his willingness to keep putting in the work. And Jalen [Hurts’] trust in letting it go. We’ll continue to have those opportunities for him.”

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At the core of Dotson’s uptick in big-time receptions is a burgeoning sense of trust between the receiver and Hurts. Dotson chalked up that progress to continuous reps in practice with his quarterback. Last week, Dotson said that he and Hurts had a few unsuccessful attempts on go balls during team sessions, but they connected on the one that mattered against the Cowboys.

“I feel like I’ve come a long way from where I’ve started, obviously with ground zero,” Dotson said of his trust with Hurts. “But it is growing each and every day. Growing every week, week to week. You guys are seeing that, but we’re just trying to keep working every day at practice. Getting closer and closer and gaining more trust.”

Practice performances are important to Hurts, but actions on game days are more meaningful.

“Obviously when you’re able to take advantage of those matchups and take advantage of those opportunities, you seem to find yourself in more of them,” Hurts said.

While Dotson has moved on from his stint in Washington, he still keeps in touch with a handful of his former teammates, including receivers Terry McLaurin, Dyami Brown, and Mitchell Tinsley, who also played for Penn State. Their efforts, combined with the dynamic performance of quarterback Jayden Daniels, have helped the Commanders offense generate +.15 expected points added per play (No. 2 in the league behind the Baltimore Ravens), according to Next Gen Stats. The expected points added stat measures the impact of each play on a team’s chances of scoring.

For the first time since 1996, the franchise in Washington is 7-3 in its first 10 games. Given his previous proximity to the team, Dotson isn’t shocked by its success lately.

“They have a lot of great players,” Dotson said. “A lot of great coaching. So it’s exciting to see what they’re doing and create a little bit of a matchup in the division between two very good football teams. It is exciting. Wasn’t a surprise to me, just because I got to see the work that those guys put in behind closed doors.”

Dotson is well-acquainted with the Commanders secondary, too. With Marshon Lattimore ruled out for a second straight game with a hamstring injury, the secondary will likely feature Benjamin St-Juste and rookie Mike Sainristil starting on the outside. The duo conceded a combined 107 yards and a touchdown on five receptions Sunday in the Commanders’ loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to PFF, but Dotson was still complimentary of the unit as a whole.

“It’s a good group they’ve got,” Dotson said. “They’re making plays. It’s going to be a good test for us. It’s just like any other Sunday, Thursday, Monday. Got to go out and get the job done. We have a good group here and we’re able to make plays. That’s what we’re going to do.”

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Four weeks after Barkley faced off against his former New York Giants team for the first time, Dotson will have his shot at a revenge game. Dotson didn’t feel the need to ask the star running back for any pointers on how to approach this contest.

If anything, Dotson is channeling one of his quarterback’s most frequently uttered mantras.

“The main thing’s the main thing,” Dotson said. “That’s come out on top and get a W.”

The Eagles play in Week 11 against the Washington Commanders. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest storylines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Lincoln Financial Field.