Commanders fans can only connect the Jahan Dotson trade with Brandon Aiyuk

The Washington Commanders are taking action!

No, not good moves. The Commanders sent Jahan Dotson and a fifth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday in exchange for a third-round pick and two seventh-round picks. In short, Washington is abandoning ship and giving up its 2022 first-round pick in order to slightly improve its position for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Good stuff… for the Eagles, at least. The Commanders’ new owner, Josh Harris, also happens to own the Philadelphia 76ers, so it’s nice for Philly sports fans to think that he’s continuing to contribute to the city’s championship race in his own unique way. There are notes about his handling of the Sixers, but Washington practically gave Cooper DeJean and Jahan Dotson to the Eagles for free in a single summer. Howie Roseman can’t continue to exploit these weaker front offices. This feels wrong.

This move was met with vocal displeasure from Commanders fans. Unless you are of a more optimistic and imaginative disposition, there are some in the Washington fan base who see this trade as a cog in a larger machine, a means to an end.

Yes, you probably guessed it. Some people believe this is all set up for a Brandon Aiyuk trade.

The Commanders were once linked to Aiyuk, but those reports have since died down. The current temperature check suggests that Aiyuk will either sign a new contract with the San Francisco 49ers or force his way to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Judging by the recent chatter on the subject, it appears to be a neck-and-neck race that does not involve the Commanders.

Of course, we can never say never in the NFL. Washington clearly needs reinforcements in the WR room, and Aiyuk would theoretically mesh well with rookie QB Jayden Daniels. Aiyuk and Daniels have been friends since their days together at Arizona State. There was once a time when Aiyuk confessed to Daniels on TikTok that “(the 49ers) don’t want me.” It’s not hard to come up with a believable conspiracy theory linking Aiyuk to the Comms.

In DC, rumors were circulating like mushrooms.

In addition to the reports with suspect sources, the general theory has spread like wildfire. A large portion of the NFL fan base believes that Washington took the next step toward acquiring Aiyuk by trading Dotson.

Should we believe these rumors? Of course not. The Niners are known to want a playable WR back in exchange for Aiyuk. Trading Dotson leaves the Commanders woefully understaffed in that regard. Terry McLaurin is too good to be traded. Dyami Brown isn’t enough to get San Francisco on the phone.

It would have made much more sense to put together an Aiyuk trade package to Dotson. The extra third-round pick is a nice bonus, but the Niners are clearly not going to get rid of Aiyuk for draft picks alone. They need someone to take Aiyuk’s place on offense. Dotson would have been a worthwhile bet with potential for Kyle Shanahan’s offense. That could have actually worked. But now the Commanders just don’t have the ammunition.

So, with apologies to Washington fans, I must deliver the bad news: This is not a step toward greatness. Rather, it is another shortsighted and inexplicable about-face by the new front office. There are still plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the future with Jayden Daniels at the helm, but Dotson is a real talent. His absence will be deeply felt in such a lackluster WR room.