Steelers Now
Los Angeles Rams right guard Kevin Dotson suffered an ankle injury in Thursday night’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Dotson was carted off and didn’t return. He was seen on crutches and in a walking boot, which is not promising
The injury occurred in the first quarter after Seahawks linebacker Derrick Hall unnecessarily stepped on Dotson. The NFL has suspended Hall one game for “an act of unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct.”
Hall, who was not called for an unnecessary roughness penalty during the game, is appealing his one-game suspension.
Here is the play that resulted in a one-game suspension for Seahawks LB Derick Hall that he is appealing: pic.twitter.com/SrMRKyrhLv
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 19, 2025
The Steelers traded Dotson to the Rams on Aug. 27, 2023 in exchange for Los Angeles’ fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Steelers also sent their fifth-round pick to the Rams as part of the trade.
The Steelers signed veteran guard Isaac Seumalo in the 2023 offseason, so they must have felt that Dotson was expendable.
Dotson shined in his first season in L.A, allowing just four sacks and seven quarterback hits in 881 snaps (14 starts). The impressive season earned him a three-year, $48 million extension with the Rams, averaging $16 million per season through 2026. The contract includes $32 million in guarantees.
Dotson also had a solid season in 2024, playing in all 17 games and two playoff games. He earned the second-highest Pro Football Focus (PFF) offense grade of his career (77.7) and was tied for ninth on PFF’s Jim Wyman list of the highest-graded guards from the 2024 NFL season.
Offensive line guru Duke Manyweather, who has worked with many offensive linemen, ripped Pittsburgh’s O-line philosophy on the Chipped Ham and Football Podcast with Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last year. Manyweather trains Dotson, along with former Steelers offensive lineman Kendrick Green.
“I respect Coach Tomlin and I respect Pat Meyer, got a great relationship with both of them, and I’ve been very frank with them about this. Kendrick Green should have been playing left guard from the start like he is down in Houston. Kevin Dotson should have been playing right guard from the start. There’s this conversation that always goes on about ‘guys need to be able to play both sides,’ that’s bullshit,” Manyweather said.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Former Steelers OL Suffers Serious Injury After Cheap Shot
