The Carolina Panthers are coming off their best season in a decade and their first playoff appearance since the 2017 season. The team appears to be on the rise, but one player who helped get the Panthers to the playoffs is unlikely to return next season.
Rico Dowdle came to the Panthers as the clear number two running back after the team inked Chuba Hubbard to a four-year, $33 million deal in November 2024. Dowdle, though, was coming off an impressive season himself for the Dallas Cowboys, registering his first 1,000-yard season after coming to the team undrafted out of South Carolina in 2020.
Dowdle shone for the Panthers this season, getting his opportunities after injuries to Hubbard opened the door to more playing time. He finished the season as the Panthers’ leading rusher with 1,076 rushing yards and six touchdowns, along with 39 catches for 297 yards and one touchdown in 11 starts. Now, Dowdle is trying to cash in on his success.
Commanders Checking In
Panthers running back Rico Dowdle may find himself back in the NFC East, but this time with the Washington Commanders. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has linked Dowdle to the Commanders in his March 8 free agency buzz article.
Fowler wrote, “Power back Rico Dowdle has been linked to the Commanders by some people around the league.” The Commanders are a team in search of a lead back, and, with Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker off the table, Dowdle is on their radar.
Fowler, in his article, expanded on the Commanders’ goals during this free agency period.
“The Commanders were listed frequently in our running back and receiver breakdowns above. The pulse inside the league is that this year could be Washington’s most active offseason of the Adam Peters era that began in 2024,” Fowler wrote. “The Commanders have an interest in other positions such as cornerback, edge rusher, and possibly tight end. Washington has a roster with holes, nearly $90 million in cap space, and star quarterback Jayden Daniels on a rookie deal. So, while the Commanders might not spend big on every position, they will be a presence.”
Wherever Dowdle goes, he has made it clear for the first time in his career that he wants to start the season as the lead back.
Number One Rusher
Rico Dowdle wants to be a lead back in the NFL, and with Hubbard ahead of him on the depth chart and already under a large contract, it wasn’t going to happen with the Panthers. The writing was on the wall in the Panthers’ playoff game against the Rams, where Dowdle had only nine rushing yards on five carries. ESPN’s David Newton wrote about Dowdle’s thoughts after the game and whether the lack of carries would impact his free agency decision.
“That definitely is a factor,” Dowdle said. “There’s options for me. I just want to be a guy who can go out there and just get the bulk [of the carries].”
Now, Dowdle will test the waters in free agency and see if he will finally be allowed to get the bulk of carries for a franchise.
Commanders Now Linked to Panthers 1,000 Yard RB