Over a period of a few weeks in 2025, Rico Dowdle was arguably the best running back in the NFL.
Dowdle demolished both the Miami Dolphins and his former employers, the Dallas Cowboys, and was the main feature in a shock win over the Green Bay Packers. Outside of a short run, he flattered to deceive and spent a lot of time living off these numbers.
Following his 130-rushing-yard day at Lambeau Field, the former South Carolina star failed to top 60 yards rushing and had just two games where he averaged over five yards per carry. During the season, Dowdle was open in his criticism of the play calling, especially after the Carolina Panthers' loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.
One could argue that some of Dowdle’s criticisms have been vindicated. The fact that Dave Canales has relinquished play-calling duties to his offensive coordinator, Brad Idzik, shows that the head coach feels he can’t fully fulfill his role while running the offense, too.
Rico Dowdle had a point about Carolina Panthers' play-calling, but he offered no accountability
But while it’s fair to lay some of the blame at Canales' door, it cannot be ignored that Dowdle lost much of the burst fans saw early in the season. The player was hampered by various nagging injuries throughout the season, regularly finding himself on the injury report in the days leading up to a game.
Chuba Hubbard regained lead-back duties down the stretch and into the playoffs. Dowdle was finding gaps in the run game with much less regularity, and his inability to make defensive players miss in the open field made a departure in free agency likely.
If Dowdle has something to say, he will not be shy in saying it. During his introductory press conference with the Pittsburgh Steelers after signing a two-year, $12.25 million deal, he sent a clear message to the Panthers ahead of the two teams facing off in 2026.
Dowdle stated he had the game already circled. The last time he called out a former team, he ran all over them. After telling the Dallas Cowboys to buckle up, the Gaffney native had 239 yards from scrimmage, including 183 on the ground, in a critical home win. Â
Both sides of the argument have valid points. Dowdle clearly regressed from his early-season dominance. Even so, he was not helped by some of the play-calling by Canales.
If it weren’t for Carolina giving Dowdle the bulk of the carries while Hubbard was injured, he likely wouldn’t have gotten the payday he found in Pittsburgh. He will also be reunited with his former coach, Mike McCarthy, who was that big a fan of the player that he persisted with a completely washed Ezekiel Elliott for the first half of the 2024 campaign. Â
Pittsburgh usually operates with a running back-by-committee approach, so Dowdle may not get the carries he needs. But he's not Carolina's problem anymore.