Before the 2020 season even ended, Steelers fans were looking ahead to 2021 for left guard Kevin Dotson. As a rookie, Dotson shined in limited action last season. When his number was called, Dotson performed. By the end of the season, it seemed to many on the outside like Dotson was the best offensive lineman on the Steeler roster. However, when the playoffs rolled around and Matt Feiler was healthy, Dotson was booted out of the starting lineup. The move gave the impression that Pittsburgh’s coaching staff didn’t feel as strongly about Dotson as fans did, and some of that sentiment seemed to carry over to the off-season.
Kevin Dotson Rightfully Claiming Steelers Starting Left Guard Spot
Coaching Staff Frustrated
Before training camp even started, there were rumblings that the Steelers coaches were not pleased with Kevin Dotson. Allegedly, Dotson felt he had the starting left guard spot locked up, so he didn’t put in much work in the off-season. When the Steelers initially brought in Trei Turner for a visit, it was before DeCastro’s retirement. And, according to the reports, they brought Turner in due to concerns regarding Dotson, not DeCastro. This didn’t seem to line up with reality, though. Dotson had been working with top offensive line trainer Duke Merryweather in the off-season and appeared to be in great shape.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has seemed a bit frustrated with Dotson’s lack of action at training camp. When asked why Dotson was playing with the second team in camp, Tomin responded, “He has done nothing to earn first team-reps. He’s a second year guy that hadn’t worked.” While this quote ignited Steelers fans at first, more context made the quote look much less damning. It seems that Tomlin simply meant that Dotson has been dealing with injuries and his four starts last year weren’t enough to lock up the starting role this year without earning it at camp.
Impressive Preseason Performance
If Mike Tomlin’s goal was to motivate Dotson, he was successful. Dotson played longer than most expected starters played in the Steelers second preseason game against the Eagles. Not only did Dotson play for awhile, but he dominated. In the running game and in pass protection, Dotson showed exactly why so many fans were high on him last season. With all the turnover on Pittsburgh’s offensive line, Dotson will need to take a huge second-year leap. If the preseason game against the Eagles was any indication, he’s off to a good start.
It didn’t take much for Dotson to do something “to earn first-team reps.” At the first practice after the Eagles game, none other than Kevin Dotson found himself playing with the rest of the starting offensive line.
In warmups. Kevin Dotson running first team LG over Rashaad Coward. #Steelers
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) August 14, 2021
The most likely scenario is that Tomlin gave a critical quote of Dotson to motivate the second-year guard. It must have worked. Dotson was never not going to be the starting left guard for the Steelers this season. The offensive line is not very good and Dotson is clearly one of the best. Based on the rest of their off-season moves, the Steelers are going all in on 2021 with a potential rebuild looming in 2022. The weakest link is without a doubt the offensive line. If they can exceed expectations, the team has the potential to make a run. And a strong offensive line will likely revolve around Kevin Dotson.
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