The Carolina Panthers have delivered their share of curveballs at the halfway point.
They’re sitting on a winning record for the first time through nine games since 2019. A defense that surrendered 3,057 rushing yards last season —nearly 700 more than the next closest team — somehow clawed its way back to the middle of the league.
But none of those surprises come close to the wildfire taking over Carolina’s season. After being signed this offseason to a one-year, $2.75 million deal, Rico Dowdle has been nothing short of phenomenal.
Rico Dowdle is spearheading the Carolina Panthers' surprising renaissance
Across the 2025 season, he has 735 rushing yards (fourth in the NFL) while averaging 5.6 yards per carry (top three among backs with 100+ carries) with 3.8 yards after contact per attempt (top five) and a league-leading 32.82 percent first-down rate. And keep in mind that he has only started three games.
In Week 9, Dowdle became the full-fledged starter, and the Panthers haven’t looked back. He handled 72.4% of the offensive snaps, earned 25 carries, produced 130 rushing yards, and scored two touchdowns in an unexpected upset against the Green Bay Packers. That game, Chuba Hubbard, once the presumed foundation, was reduced to five carries and barely a fifth of the offensive workload.
But what elevates this beyond surprise is that it didn’t feel inevitable. Dowdle wasn’t a blue-chip first-rounder or a household name. He came to Carolina on a prove-it deal, and he is doing just that.
“He’s a very explosive player,” said offensive tackle Yosh Nijman. “Every down you’re getting the best of him. I think he’s just an inspiration to the rest of us to play harder, play longer, play better and just keep dominating, like dominating every play. He’s been giving us the keys to do that by how he’s playing.”
Dowdle’s emergence has become the gravitational center of the offense. It eases Bryce Young’s load. It lets Dave Canales control tempo rather than chase it. And it gives the Panthers both patience and punch in the run game.
This team is 5-4, already matching its 2024 win total with eight games left. They’re fully in the NFC South race, and Dowdle is a big reason why.
Carolina’s biggest surprise isn’t complicated. It’s No. 5, carrying the ball, holding the offense, carrying the season, and turning an inconsistent team into a potential playoff team.
And nobody saw it coming.