Elijah Dotson: Everything you need to know

The Falcons waived Dotson on Saturday, Terrin Waack of the team's official site reports. Dotson ranked second on Atlanta with 77 rushing yards during the three-game preseason slate, but he averaged only 3.9 yards per carry, and most of his yardage came on one 41-yard scamper. Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier should log the vast majority of the Falcons' carries this season, but with Dotson out of the picture, the No. 3 RB battle appears to be between Carlos Washington (hamstring), Nathan Carter and Jashaun Corbin.

Dotson carried the ball 12 times for 74 yards and caught his only target for seven yards in Friday's 31-13 preseason loss to the Cowboys. The 26-year-old was the third back into the game after Jashaun Corbin and Nathan Carter, but all three got touches in the first half. Dotson made the biggest splash of the trio as the leading rusher on the night, although most of his yards came on Atlanta's final drive, and he failed to convert a fourth-and-one carry from the goal line. Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier are locked into the top two spots on the RB depth chart, but the No. 3 role could be wide open with Carlos Washington (hamstring) having missed the entire preseason. Dotson's usage Friday suggests he's not the favorite to claim the job if it is available, however.

Dotson rushed five times for zero yards and caught his lone target for eight yards during Friday's 17-10 preseason loss to the Lions. The undrafted running back out of Northern Colorado started his career with the Chargers in 2023 and made four appearances as a rookie but failed to make their initial 53-man roster last season. He joined the Falcons' practice squad last winter and earned a reserve/future contract after the 2024 campaign. Dotson will likely have to settle for a practice-squad role again.