Rico Dowdle signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers but that doesn’t mean he has no grudges with the Carolina Panthers, who didn’t keep him despite him having 1,000 yards. Now, his new team will play his former team, and the running back said “It’s definitely circled. It’s definitely circled, for sure.” Revenge is better served with a running game.
Dowdle was ignored for most of the first half of the 2025 season, until then-starting RB Chuba Hubbard got injured and Dowdle had his chance to shine. He did exactly that, considering he became the starter and surpassed the four-figure mark at the end of the year.
On the Panthers, Dowdle racked up 236 rushes for 1,076 yards and six touchdowns. He added 297 receiving yards as well, along one receiving touchdown.
Dowdle was done wrong once again
It’s not common to see a running back put two straight 1,000-yard seasons with different teams and that both teams let him go. In 2024, Dowdle had 1,079 yards with the Cowboys, but they let him go. Now, the Panthers did the same.
Dowdle doesn’t take kindly to get cut like this and the Cowboys know this. He obliterated the Cowboys last year in his revenge game with 183 rushing yards, 56 receiving yards and one touchdown. Dowdle’s Panthers also won that game 30-27. Now, the Panthers must fear the upcoming Dowdle revenge game.
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Dowdle won’t face this issue next year
The Steelers signed Dowdle for the next two seasons. Hence, he will have no issues unles he gets cut or something like that. However, if he keeps his level of play, he shouldn’t.
What happens is Dowdle will be a part of a committee with Jaylen Warren. Warren is fresh off his best year as he became the starter of the team and had 1,291 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns. Dowdle will have to share snaps with him, but that has worked wonders for the Steelers in recent years.
