Rams re-signing guard Kevin Dotson to three-year, $48M deal

A career-best year has earned Kevin Dotson a new contract.

The Rams are re-signing Dotson to a three-year, $48 million deal that includes $32 million in guaranteed money, NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported on Thursday.

The deal will pay Dotson $16 million per year, placing him among the likes of Browns guard Joel Bitonio and Chiefs guard Joe Thuney in terms of average annual value. It also produces a massive jump in pay for Dotson, who played for $2.25 million in 2023 — less than fellow starting guard Steve Avila, a standout rookie.

Dotson began his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who selected him with a fourth-round pick in 2020 but never received the return they anticipated, eventually trading him to Los Angeles. The Rams were happy to welcome Dotson to a group that desperately needed reinforcements, and Dotson responded in kind, producing the best season of his four-year career as part of a vastly improved Rams offensive line.

Pro Football Focus handed Dotson an overall offensive grade of 85.2, a significantly higher mark than he’d earned in any of his three seasons in Pittsburgh. He finished second among all guards in the NFL in 2023, and by the conclusion of the campaign, the Rams knew they had to keep him as one half of a strong guard tandem.

Such money might be a risk considering Dotson hasn’t yet demonstrated he can produce consistently, but clocks and calendars often force action. The Rams didn’t waste much time deciding to pay Dotson at a premier rate, securing their future less than two years after they learned how difficult a season can be behind a piecemeal offensive line.