Chicago Bears star defensive end Montez Sweat appears to still have his eye on his former Washington Commanders teammates after he fired off a four-word reaction to his old team trading wide receiver Jahan Dotson on August 22.
The Commanders traded Dotson — the No. 16 overall selection in the 2022 NFL draft — along with a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick and two 2025 seventh-rounders. The Dotson trade marks the second time the team has dealt away a former first-round pick since last October.
“Neva personal just business,” Sweat posted on X after news of Dotson’s trade broke.
Dotson also quickly reposted Sweat’s message, clearing up any confusion about what Sweat might be referencing in his original post. Ex-Commanders castoffs stick together.
Jahan Dotson’s Trade is Different Than Montez Sweat’s
Sweat was in Dotson’s shoes roughly 10 months ago. The Commanders traded Sweat to the Bears for their 2024 second-round pick at the 2023 NFL trade deadline, moving on from their most talented edge rusher after he notched 6.5 sacks in the first eight games.
Sweat had been playing on a fifth-year option in 2023 and hurtling toward free agency, putting the Commanders in a difficult position with significant money already invested in two players — Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne — on their defensive line. Instead, he landed with the Bears, who promptly signed him to a four-year, $98 million extension.
With Dotson, however, things are a little stranger considering he still has two years — and a fifth-year option — left on his rookie deal. The Commanders also have a rookie starting quarterback in No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels, making even odder that they would move on from one of their better receiving talents opposite star Terry McLaurin.
Unless, of course, the Commanders have a bigger move up their sleeves for 2024.
Are Commanders Eyeing Trade for Brandon Aiyuk?
The Commanders stripping firepower from their offense seems foolish at first glance. While they have Dyami Brown and rookie Luke McCaffrey vying for reps in the receiver rotation in 2024, McLaurin and 33-year-old tight end Zach Ertz are their only proven pass-catchers on the roster. Even with the team gaining a third-round pick in the trade, it seems unlikely that dealing away Dotson will help Daniels succeed in his rookie year.
The move makes much more sense, though, if the Commanders are planning to make an aggressive trade offer for San Francisco 49ers contract-seeking star Brandon Aiyuk.
Aiyuk and Daniels are friends from their time as Arizona State teammates in 2019, so the connection is already strong. Aiyuk has also kept Daniels looped in on his contract negotiations with the 49ers. Back in June, he even posted a snippet of their FaceTime call to TikTok in which Aiyuk told Daniels: “They said they don’t want me back.”
Since then, the 49ers have permitted Aiyuk to speak to other teams about the possibility of a trade even though San Francisco is still leaving the door open to get a new contract done with their former first-round pick. While the Pittsburgh Steelers have emerged as the favorites to land Aiyuk, the Commanders have the resources to jump into the race — especially with an additional third-round pick now in their possession.
It is a situation that bears watching closely in the lead-up to the 2024 regular season.
