Kevin Dotson has not missed many games during his time playing football. In fact, he played 52 consecutive games in College. When Dotson was drafted by the Steelers he expected to be slowly incorporated into the offensive line. Plans changed for the Steelers when Zach Banner, Matt Feiler, and other lineman went down with injuries. Some were season-ending injuries. That left the Steelers offensive line extremely thin. In came Kevin Dotson who has now played 291 snaps which is ranked 82nd in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus.
Dotson has done an exceptional job on the offensive line. In October Pro Football Focus had the Rookie Kevin Dotson graded as the best pass-blocker in the NFL. He has allowed 0 sacks in 12 games with the Steelers. That is remarkable considering he is a Rookie in the NFL. Dotson doesn't like to sit out of football games. He said this on his Zoom call with the media recently.
“For me, it’s weird because how I was raised is not to sit out,” Dotson said. “I’m not going to sit out a game if I possibly could do something.”
Dotson wanted to stay in the Bills game, but the more he thinks about it now he is glad he was pulled because he is looking toward the future with his career. That is pure maturation on Kevin Dotson's part. It will really help his longevity in the league down the road if he plays it smart and takes himself out of the game if he's injured.
“I wanted to stay in the Buffalo game, but you have to think more about your future when you’re in the NFL,” Dotson said. “It was a smart decision for me to get out of that game. I like to be able to come back fast, so I did everything I can recovery-wise to get back.”
Dotson says he feels he belongs on the Pittsburgh Steelers now. He says in the games he has played he feels like he is on everyone's level now in the NFL. Before he was drafted he was a little nervous because he didn't know how the NFL's mindset would be. Once he got his first snaps Dotson realized he can keep up with these guys on this level of football. So he solidified it into his mind that he can compete at this level. He said he has all of the confidence in the world to play in the NFL now. Dotson says it doesn't matter what the Steelers want him to do when Matt Feiler comes back. He just wants to do what it takes to help the Steelers win. Dotson will take his confidence into the playoffs for the first time of his career and look to finish his Rookie Season off strong.