The Nomadic Life of an NFL Family: Phillip and Moriah Dorsett’s Journey
In the high-stakes world of professional football, players’ careers often involve constant movement from team to team, city to city. Few understand this reality better than Moriah Dorsett, wife of wide receiver Phillip Dorsett, whose NFL journey has taken them across the country multiple times since he entered the league as a first-round pick in 2015. Speaking candidly with People magazine, Moriah revealed the challenges and unexpected joys of supporting a husband whose career has spanned eight different teams, including two separate stints with both the Seattle Seahawks and Las Vegas Raiders.
“I like to consider myself a professional mover at this point,” Moriah shared with good-natured humor. The couple’s first relocation came when Phillip moved from the Indianapolis Colts to the New England Patriots, a transition handled primarily by team management. However, as his career progressed through various teams including the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Denver Broncos, and Atlanta Falcons, the logistics of these moves fell increasingly on Moriah’s shoulders. “After that first move, all the other relocations were basically me trying to get everything together,” she explained, highlighting the behind-the-scenes work that NFL families undertake when careers take unexpected turns. While Phillip has been fortunate to enjoy some career highlights—including a Super Bowl championship with the Patriots in 2018—each new opportunity has meant uprooting their lives, sometimes with very little notice.
The unpredictability of NFL careers has taught Moriah valuable lessons about patience and adaptability. Rather than rushing to relocate every time Phillip signs with a new team, she now takes a more measured approach. “Once he gets on a team, I wait and see how the season is going to go, how he’s feeling, and then usually we’ll make the move and come down a little bit later,” she explained. This cautious strategy developed from experience—particularly after a jarring incident when the couple had barely settled in Las Vegas before Phillip was suddenly traded to the Denver Broncos just five days before the season began. Such last-minute changes would be challenging for any family, but they’ve become part of the rhythm of the Dorsetts’ life together, requiring a resilience that extends far beyond what fans see on game day.
Throughout their journey, family support has proven essential. Moriah acknowledges her in-laws’ contributions during their frequent relocations, creating a support network that helps manage the logistical challenges of their nomadic lifestyle. While the practical aspects of moving—packing belongings, finding new housing, and establishing themselves in unfamiliar cities—create obvious stress, Moriah has discovered unexpected benefits to their unusual lifestyle. The constant relocations have allowed her to experience living in cities across America that she might never have considered otherwise, broadening her perspective and creating a tapestry of diverse experiences that most people never encounter. This silver lining has helped transform what could be viewed as a professional hardship into an adventure of sorts, albeit one with significant challenges.
Phillip’s career statistics—151 catches for 2,001 yards and 12 touchdowns across 94 career games—tell only a small part of his professional story. Behind those numbers lies a journey of persistence through constant change and adjustment. Currently on the Raiders’ practice squad, he continues working toward returning to a main roster position, having not appeared in a regular-season game since 2023. His journey exemplifies the reality for many NFL players whose careers require them to continually prove themselves in new environments, with new teammates and coaching staffs, often living in temporary housing arrangements while trying to establish stability for themselves and their families. The pressure to perform under these circumstances adds another dimension to the already intense demands of playing at the highest level of professional football.
For couples like Phillip and Moriah Dorsett, the NFL lifestyle requires a unique blend of flexibility, resilience, and optimism. Their story offers a glimpse behind the glamorous facade of professional sports, revealing the personal sacrifices and adjustments that athletes and their families make in pursuit of their dreams. While fans celebrate touchdowns and championships, families like the Dorsetts navigate a complex reality of unexpected trades, cross-country moves, and the constant uncertainty that comes with a career in professional sports. Yet through it all, they’ve found ways to build a life together that accommodates the demands of Phillip’s profession while discovering unexpected advantages in their unconventional journey. Their experience stands as a testament to the unseen challenges faced by many professional athletes and the partners who support them through every twist and turn of their careers.
