Rico Dowdle: Everything you need to know

Dowdle is slated to sign with the Steelers, NFL reporter Jordan Schultz reports. Terms of the contract aren't immediately available, but Dowdle appears set to move over to the AFC after one year in Carolina. He produced a 236-1,076-6 regular-season rushing line last season with the Panthers, which was nearly identical to the 235-1,079-2 line he posted during his 2024 breakout campaign with the Cowboys. Dowdle also caught exactly 39 passes each of the past two seasons, totaling 546 yards and four touchdowns, and he's chipped in as a kick returner throughout his career. The Steelers have Jaylen Warren locked in as their primary RB, so Dowdle figures to form a 1-2 punch with the incumbent starter, though his role may be somewhat different from that of Kenneth Gainwell, who featured as a pass catcher in 2025 but is departing in free agency to Tampa Bay.

General manager Dan Morgan said Tuesday that the door is open for Dowdle to return to Carolina in 2026, but the Panthers will give him the opportunity to test the market in free agency, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports. Though the Panthers are seemingly keen on retaining Dowdle at the right price, it's possible that the franchise won't be able to afford the running back coming off his second straight 1,000-yard rushing season. If Dowdle heads elsewhere, Morgan expressed confidence in the remaining members of the running back room (Chuba Hubbard, Jonathon Brooks and Trevor Etienne) being capable of picking up the slack. After opening 2025 as the Panthers' starter before sliding to second on the depth chart, Hubbard had already moved back into a near-even timeshare with Dowdle by the end of the regular season and then handily out-snapped and out-touched Dowdle in the Panthers' wild-card loss to the Rams.

Dowdle recorded five rushes for nine yards in Saturday's 34-31 wild-card round loss to the Rams. He added one reception on two targets for six yards. Dowdle has been particularly inefficient to close the season, averaging only 3.3 yards per carry across Carolina's final four regular-season contests. He also lost his status as the team's lead back in the playoff loss, with Chuba Hubbard out-touching Dowdle 15-6. Dowdle is headed to free agency for the second consecutive offseason, and he is likely to be signed as a complementary back given his fade down the stretch after a strong start to 2025.