The Atlanta Falcons' preseason opener was a disaster in every definition of the word for all but a select few players. And Jahan Dotson applies to that list. He's had a strong showing in camp, tying for second in receptions, and the Falcons' faith in him continued during the 27-7 loss to the Broncos.
The Falcons signed Dotson to a two-year, $15 million deal in free agency, and he's their second-highest paid wide receiver behind Drake London. And Atlanta has utilized him as such, as he continues to erase any doubt about his status as the team's WR2--and did so again on Friday night.
While the starters only played two drives, Jahan Dotson's usage was a particular ringing endorsement. He reportedly played 100% of the snaps with the first-team offense, and while he didn't even so much as record a target on those series, it's a positive sign about his role in 2026.
Jahan Dotson is firmly entrenched as the Atlanta Falcons' full-time WR2
To be fair to the former first-round pick, the quarterback play wasn't exactly setting the world on fire, so he didn't really need to turn heads in regards to his production. Tua Tagovailoa struggled and was mostly looking Kyle Pitts' way, but Dotson still feels clearly entrenched as the new WR2 in Atlanta.
To be fair, London played only two snaps and Bijan Robinson didn't play at all, so it's not like the usage of the starters was anything major. So his lack of production in limited action isn't anything to phone home about when he's consistently been one of the best-performing receivers during training camp.
Full disclosure, the Dirty Birds were never truly embarking on a position battle for the WR2 spot, as the bigger receiver competition has come between Olamide Zaccheus and third-round rookie Zachariah Branch are duking it out to be the starting slot--because the outside WRs are confirmed.
The Penn State product has proven himself to be a capable deep threat as an outside receiver to the point where defenses won't be able to key in on London as often anymore. And while he's not a good separator, signing with Atlanta presented him with a chance to start in a niche role where he'll thrive.
The Falcons signed Jahan Dotson banking on a redemption arc, and as long as he keeps getting consistent run with the first-team offense like he did in the preseason opener, it's safe to say they'll get the return on investment they were hoping for on this contract. He's pulled away enough to cement himself as the unquestioned WR2--so the next step is taking advantage of the new role.
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