Before free agency begins next week, the Los Angeles Rams took care of a big piece of business. They agreed to a three-year extension with guard Kevin Dotson on Thursday, their top free agent of 2024. It’s a contract worth $48 million, including $32 million guaranteed, making it a significant raise for the former fourth-round pick.
On Friday, details of Dotson’s contract emerged, with Over The Cap sharing a full breakdown of the three-year pact. According to Over The Cap, Dotson got $24 million fully guaranteed at signing, which includes a $4.25 million signing bonus. His cap hits in each of the next three years are as follows.
- 2024: $12.667 million
- 2025: $17.916 million
- 2026: $17.416 million
He has base salaries of $7 million next year and $8 million in each of the final two years. If Dotson is on the roster on the third day of the new league year in 2025, his salary of $8 million will become guaranteed. If he’s on the roster on the third day of the 2026 league year, he’ll get an $8 million roster bonus.
As for a potential out for the Rams, that comes before the 2026 season. If things don’t work out and they want to cut Dotson before his roster bonus hits in March of 2026, they can release him and save $16 million, taking on only $1.416 million in dead money.
So essentially, it’s a two-year deal that can turn into a three-year deal if the Rams want to keep him for all three seasons. It’s a smart deal for Los Angeles, especially with the salary cap ballooning the way it has in 2024.