Rico Dowdle Seeking Multiyear Deal, Lead Role; Unlikely To Re-Sign With Panthers?
After spending his first five NFL seasons in Dallas, where he eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the first time in 2024, running back Rico Dowdle left for Carolina last March. Dowdle’s one-year pact with the Panthers included a $2.75MM base salary and a max value of $6.25MM. The deal worked out well for both sides. Dowdle went over 1,000 yards again and helped the Panthers to an NFC South title.
Although the Panthers only managed an 8-9 record in the regular season, they pushed the Rams to the limit in a 34-31 wild-card round loss last Saturday. With Dowdle two months from returning to free agency, that may go down as his last game as a Panther.
General manager Dan Morgan told reporters that Dowdle hasn’t given any indication he’s exiting (via David Newton of ESPN), but the soon-to-be 28-year-old has made it clear he wants to be a lead back. Dowdle’s workload decreased toward the end of the season, which he said will impact whether he re-signs with the team.
“That definitely is a factor,” he 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].”
In Chuba Hubbard, the Panthers already had a well-compensated starting back on hand when Dowdle joined them. Hubbard, then in the midst of his first 1,000-yard season, inked a four-year, $33.2MM extension in November 2024.
Hubbard entered 2025 as the Panthers’ No. 1 back, a role he held for the first four weeks of the season. He sat out the next two games with a calf injury, though, and Dowdle feasted during his absence. In wins over the Cowboys and Dolphins, Dowdle combined for a jaw-dropping 389 yards on 53 carries. He added two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) and chipped in another 84 yards on seven catches.
Hubbard returned the next week, but he logged fewer carries than Dowdle in nine of the Panthers’ last 10 regular-season games. Dowdle totaled 12 or fewer rushes in three straight games from Week 16 through 18, however, and was a non-factor in the playoff loss. He notched five carries for nine yards against the Rams, while Hubbard racked up 46 yards and two scores on 13 attempts.
Dowdle is now preparing to test the market in hopes of securing a multiyear deal, according to Person, who casts doubt on the South Carolina native signing a second Panthers contract. He’ll shop himself around the league after posting the first 17-game season of his career and rushing for a personal-best six scores. The rest of his numbers are virtually identical to his 2024 output.
Over a 16-game span in his last year with the Cowboys, Dowdle amassed 1,079 rushing yards on 235 carries (4.6 YPC). He also caught 39 of 49 targets for 249 yards and three TDs. In his first (and perhaps only) Carolina season, Dowdle racked up 1,076 yards on 236 totes (4.6 YPC). As a pass catcher, he pulled in 39 of 50 targets for 297 yards and a score.
Dowdle, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2020, only had 96 carries under his belt before his breakthrough effort in 2024. He at least showed that wasn’t a fluke in 2025, but it’s up in the air whether a second straight 1,000-yard season will lead to multiyear offers. With Breece Hall, Travis Etienne, Kenneth Walker, Javonte Williams and J.K. Dobbins also among pending free agents, Dowdle may be stuck in a crowded class of running backs when the market opens in March.
Rico Dowdle, Calais Campbell, Von Miller Among Players Pursuing Incentives
The Panthers will face the Buccaneers in Week 18 with the NFC South on the line. Running back Rico Dowdle, one of the Panthers’ most important weapons, is dealing with a toe injury. It doesn’t appear it will sideline him, though, as head coach Dave Canales said he expects Dowdle to play Saturday (via Joe Person of The Athletic).
Along with winning the division, there’s a lot at stake financially for Dowdle, who’s seven scrimmage yards away from 1,350. If he reaches that total, Dowdle will earn a $1MM bonus, per Devon Henderson and Tobias Bass of The Athletic. Dowdle has rushed for 1,066 yards and added another 277 as a receiver while appearing in all 16 of Carolina’s games. The former Cowboy has given the Panthers plenty of bang for their buck on a one-year deal worth up to $6.25MM.
Dowdle isn’t the only veteran aiming to boost his earnings in Week 18. Here’s a look at several others (via Henderson and Bass):
- Chiefs wide receiver Hollywood Brown has hauled in five touchdowns in 15 games. He’ll earn an extra $750K if he grabs touchdown No. 6 against the Raiders on Sunday. It’s a long shot, but Brown will add an extra $1MM if he catches three TDs. After re-upping with the Chiefs on a one-year pact worth up to $11MM last offseason, he’s on track to reach free agency in March.
- Cardinals defensive lineman Calais Campbell needs one sack to hit 7.5 for the season. If he gets it done against the Rams on Sunday, Campbell will rake in a $500K bonus. That would be a nice way to go out for Campbell, who said before the season that this will likely be his last year. Campbell began his storied career with the Cardinals in 2008 and spent his first nine seasons in Arizona. After playing for four other teams, the six-time Pro Bowler returned to the desert last April on a one-year, $5.5MM guarantee.
- Jaguars defensive lineman Arik Armstead will collect a $1MM bonus if he picks up 1.5 sacks and reaches seven for the season against the Titans on Sunday. Armstead has piled up 5.5 sacks in 15 games in 2025, the second season of a three-year, $51MM deal.
- While little has gone right for the Commanders in 2025, last summer’s Von Miller signing has worked out. After inking a one-year pact worth up to $6.1MM, Miller has recorded eight sacks in 16 games. The 36-year-old will secure a $1MM bonus if he registers his ninth sack in Sunday’s meeting with the Eagles.
- With 70-plus catches and over 700 yards, Saints tight end Juwan Johnson has already maxed out his $750K incentive package for 2025. The 29-year-old has pulled in 74 catches for 828 yards and three touchdowns in the best season of his career. He’ll earn a fully guaranteed $9MM in 2026, the second season of a three-year, $30.75MM accord.
Panthers Activate G Chandler Zavala Off IR
NOVEMBER 1: Carolina will, in fact, see Zavala return at an opportune moment as the Panthers activated him from injured reserve today. Considering Christensen was placed on IR shortly after suffering his Achilles injury, Zavala should have the opportunity to step right back into the position that Christensen had been filling for him.
In order make space on the 53-man roster, the Panthers released veteran running back DeeJay Dallas, who had been inactive in two games since Hubbard’s return to health. Carolina also announced that it would call up outside linebacker Jeremiah Moon as a standard gameday practice squad elevation.
OCTOBER 29: The Panthers’ offensive line took a hit when guard Brady Christensen suffered an Achilles injury in a loss to the Bills in Week 8. While Christensen may miss the rest of the season, the Panthers could welcome back guard Chandler Zavala in the next three weeks. The Panthers opened Zavala’s practice window on Wednesday, giving them 21 days to activate him from IR.
Zavala has mostly served as a backup in Carolina since the team used a fourth-round pick on the former NC State blocker in 2023. He opened this season in a reserve role before right guard Robert Hunt tore his left biceps in Week 2. With Hunt on IR, Zavala started back-to-back games. However, Zavala sustained a knee injury in Week 4, forcing him to join Hunt on the shelf.
The Panthers are dealing with other injuries along their line, including to center Cade Mays (ankle) and right tackle Taylor Moton (knee). It’s unclear if they’ll play this Sunday against the Packers and their Micah Parsons-led defensive front. Likewise, Zavala may not be ready for an immediate return to the lineup. Alongside Damien Lewis, the Panthers’ starting left guard, Austin Corbett, Jake Curhan, and Nick Samac could all be candidates to fill in the interior of a banged-up line this week.
Regardless of who’s doing the blocking in Week 9, it appears running back Rico Dowdle will take on a larger role. With Dowdle off to an excellent start this year, Panthers head coach Dave Canales said the Panthers are considering a heavier workload for him (via David Newton of ESPN).
Previously with the Cowboys, Dowdle signed a one-year deal with the Panthers last offseason to work behind starter Chuba Hubbard. While Dowdle was a 1,000-yard rusher last year, he has found another gear this season. The 27-year-old has already piled up 605 yards on 106 carries (5.7 YPC). He combined for a franchise-record 473 total yards (389 rushing, 84 receiving) during wins in Weeks 5 and 6. Hubbard missed those games with a calf injury.
Dowdle has seen less action since Hubbard returned, though he still combined for a strong 133 yards on 25 rushes during the Panthers’ previous two games. Hubbard, on the other hand, totaled just 65 yards on 26 carries in that same stretch. The 26-year-old has averaged an underwhelming 3.6 yards on 79 carries this season.
Although Hubbard is seemingly in line for fewer touches, the Panthers “don’t want to move” him before the Nov. 4 trade deadline, Joseph Person of The Athletic writes. With Hubbard in the early stages of an 1,195-yard, 10-touchdown rushing season in 2024, the Panthers signed him to a four-year, $33.2MM extension last November. He’s earning a $4MM guaranteed salary this year and has another $4.5MM guaranteed in 2026.
A talent evaluator with another team told Person that it may be hard for the Panthers to find someone to take Hubbard’s contract while also surrendering a draft pick to acquire him. With Hubbard an important part of the Panthers’ culture, they’re content to keep him as a complement to Dowdle. If Dowdle leaves as a free agent in the offseason, Hubbard could reclaim the No. 1 role in 2026.
Panthers Sign RB Rico Dowdle
Rico Dowdle has found his next opportunity. The former Cowboys running back has a one-year deal in place with the Panthers, Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer reports. The pact (which is now official) has a maximum value of $6.25MM, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo adds. 
After the Cowboys lined up a deal with Javonte Williams, it became clear Dowdle would be on the move. The latter will earn base salary of $2.75MM, Joe Person of The Athletic notes. Upon arrival in Carolina, Dowdle will join a running backs room featuring one established starter along with a 2024 draftee seen as being a long-term solution at the position.
The Panthers have Chuba Hubbard on the books for years to come after he inked an extension midway through the 2024 campaign. Hubbard topped 1,000 rushing yards for the first time last season, and he can be expected to handle lead back duties for at least the short-term future. Jonathon Brooks – selected in the second round last April – made only three appearances as a rookie after rehabbing the ACL tear which ended his college career. During that stretch, Brooks suffered a second tear, however, so he will miss time in 2025.
That will allow Dowdle to handle at least a rotational role with his new team. The 26-year-old saw sparse usage during his first three Dallas campaigns, but the decision to allow Tony Pollard to depart after playing on the franchise tag allowed Dowdle to see a starter’s workload. He posted 1,338 yards from scrimmage while averaging 4.6 yards per carry. Those figures (along with his low mileage) were insufficient to earn the former UDFA a multi-year pact, though.
This short-term arrangement will nevertheless pave the way for a homecoming. Dowdle is an Asheville, North Carolina native and he spent his college career at South Carolina. Coming off the most productive campaign of his pro tenure, it will be interesting to see how he fares with his hometown team. Teams still in search of veteran backfield depth, meanwhile, now have an even thinner pool of options to choose from.
Cowboys To Sign RB Javonte Williams
6:58pm: As it turns out, this signing does look like it will send Dowdle elsewhere. The Williams move is expected to ensure the Cowboys move on from their primary 2024 starter, the Dallas Morning News’ David Moore tweets. Dowdle has spent the past five years with the Cowboys.
6:22pm: The Cowboys took plenty of heat for running back apathy last year. They will attempt to change course early this offseason, as a young starter is coming in on Day 1 of free agency.
Javonte Williams is relocating from Denver to Dallas, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reporting the former second-round pick will do so on a one-year deal worth $3MM. The contract can max out at $3.5MM.
Although Williams expressed interest in staying with the Broncos, they were not expected to bring him back. After a promising rookie season, Williams suffered ACL and LCL tears during an October 2022 game in Las Vegas. While the North Carolina alum made it back by Week 1 of the ’23 season, he did not quite resemble his previous version. With Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime signed, the Broncos will part ways with a player they traded up for in 2021.
Williams’ rookie season brought 1,219 scrimmage yards, even as he had to share time with Melvin Gordon. That season included Angry Runs recognition for a carry against the Cowboys, a game in which the Broncos upset the favored hosts. Williams’ 111-yard day in Dallas notwithstanding, he saw his role reduced in Denver during Sean Payton’s second season. The bruising runner averaged 3.6 and 3.7 yards per carry, respectively, over the past two seasons. He did reach 1,002 scrimmage yards in 2023 and 859 in ’24, but there is a reason the Cowboys have him locked into this modest rate.
Dallas received a decent season from Rico Dowdle, who quickly usurped the re-signed Ezekiel Elliott as the team’s primary rusher. Dowdle is unsigned, and this Williams deal would not seem to impede a reunion. The two would bring complementary skillsets. The Cowboys have shown interest in keeping Dowdle, but it will be interesting to see if a player who can blend a quality season with low mileage can fetch notable offers elsewhere.
Cowboys Begin Negotiations With Osa Odighizuwa; Team Hopes To Retain Jourdan Lewis, Rico Dowdle
Much of the Cowboys’ offseason will center on the Micah Parsons extension situation. The team has other priorities as the new league year approaches, though, and that includes talks with a number of pending free agents. 
One of those is Osa Odighizuwa. The former third-rounder is currently set to be one of the top defensive tackles in free agency, but there is still time for the Cowboys to work out a deal preventing him from reaching the market. COO Stephen Jones recently made it clear talks have begun on a second contract for Odighizuwa.
“We have had negotiations with Osa,” Jones revealed during an interview with David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. “I just think Osa is a really good football player. He’s an important piece.”
The 26-year-old has started all but four of his 67 career games, collecting 13.5 sacks to date. Improving against the run is a key need for the Cowboys this offseason, and multiple changes in the front seven could be in store as a result. With the chance of a departure to Washington (and thus a reunion with Dan Quinn) looming, it will be interesting to see if an agreement can be reached before the start of the new league year in March.
As for other roster priorities, Jones noted the Cowboys also hope to retain slot corner Jourdan Lewis and lead running back Rico Dowdle. Lewis has spent his entire eight-year career in Dallas, playing out his rookie contract, a three-year deal worth an average of $4.5MM per year and the less lucrative one-year accord signed last March to keep him in place. Approaching his age-30 season, Dallas could make another short-term commitment while DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs remain perimeter starters.
The Cowboys opted for a committee approach early in the 2024 season in particular, and it did not go according to plan. The shift in approach later in the year allowed Dowdle to surpass 1,000 rushing yards while handling by far the heaviest workload of his career, though, something which could help his market value. Dallas ranked 27th on the ground last year, and improving in that department could involve selecting a running back in April’s draft, one which is viewed as being deep at the position. Re-signing Dowdle would nevertheless allow for backfield continuity and at least provide the team with an experienced backup.
Jones added the Cowboys are awaiting a decision from defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence on his future. The 33-year-old was limited to just four games last year and is a pending free agent. Lawrence received the franchise tag twice, and his career earnings also include the five- and three-year Cowboys pacts he has played on. After seeing that fellow 2014 draftee Zack Martin intends to retire, Lawrence could do the same; taking that path would leave Dallas in need of at least a depth addition along the edge.
As for Parsons, Jones declined to give a firm timeline on when negotiations for his pending mega-extension will begin. He did say, though, that talks will pick up over the coming weeks as the team navigates the lead-in to free agency while preparing for the draft. Parsons has a case to become the league’s highest-paid defensive player, but before a deal reaching (or approaching) that mark is worked out the Cowboys will look to attain clarity on how their 2025 roster shapes up at several positions.
Cowboys Planning To Promote RB Dalvin Cook
Dalvin Cook is set to make his season debut on Sunday night. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Cowboys are planning on promoting the veteran running back from the practice squad. Dianna Russini of The Athletic definitively adds that Cook will play tomorrow night against the 49ers.
The former Pro Bowl RB has been sitting on the Cowboys practice squad since August. However, with the Cowboys coming off their bye, there seemed to be increasing optimism that Cook would make his Dallas debut in Week 8. That will end up being the case, and Cook could have a chance to immediately contribute to an underwhelming RBs room.
The Cowboys have rushed for a league-low 463 yards this season. The front office didn’t do a whole lot to replace starter Tony Pollard, who left for the Titans via free agency. The organization reunited with old friend Ezekiel Elliott, but the veteran has seen an inconsistent role while contributing only three yards per carry. Rico Dowdle leads the team with 59 rush attempts for 246 yards, but the 26-year-old has yet to find the end zone.
Of course, Cook shouldn’t expect to be some sudden savior for the RB corps. While the veteran isn’t even two seasons removed from topping 1,400 yards from scrimmage, he appeared to take a clear step back in 2023. Cook averaged a career-low 3.2 yards-per-attempt in 15 games with the Jets before the sides decided to mutually part ways. Cook caught on with the Ravens and made his team debut in the Divisional Round, collecting 23 yards on eight carries.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Cook has been “tearing it up in practice.” While it’d be wishful thinking to believe Cook can reach his Vikings production, the Cowboys would simply benefit from a slight improvement from his dreadful 2023 campaign.
Latest On Cowboys’ RB Depth
With Tony Pollard no longer in the picture, the Cowboys are eyeing a committee approach at running back for the 2024 campaign. Old friend Ezekiel Elliott is back, but the veteran isn’t expected to carry a full workload during his age-29 season. Behind the veteran, the organization is rostering a number of intriguing but inexperienced options, leading some to wonder if the team could look to add to the position.
Jon Machota certainly shares that sentiment, with The Athletic reporter opining that the Cowboys will make “at least one more addition” to their running backs room. The Cowboys will likely take their time evaluating their current options, so Machota suggests an addition could even come “a few games into the season.”
If the team does roll with their current grouping, Machota believes Elliott will ultimately lead the team in touches, followed closely by Rico Dowdle. The former UDFA is coming off his most productive season in 2023, having collected 505 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns. He also showed some talent in the receiving game, hauling in 17 of his 22 targets.
Behind that duo, the rest of the depth chart is “completely up in the air,” per Machota. That job could go to any of Royce Freeman, Malik Davis, or Deuce Vaughn, although the team is getting especially creative with the youngest option in that grouping. The team website recently noted that Vaughn was spotted taking reps as a slot receiver during OTAs, perhaps opening even more snaps for the second-year pro. The 2023 sixth-round pick got into seven games as a rookie, collecting 80 yards from scrimmage on 30 touches. At five-foot-six and 176 pounds, Vaughn certainly doesn’t profile as an every-down back, but the Cowboys could look to utilize him as a change-of-pace Swiss Army Knife.
Dalvin Cook is the biggest name remaining on the RB market, with the likes of Cam Akers, Joshua Kelley, Latavius Murray, Kareem Hunt joining him in free agency. If the Cowboys were interested in any of that grouping, they likely would have already added a player to their RB room. More likely, the front office is waiting for RBs to shake loose throughout the preseason.
Cowboys To Re-Sign RB Rico Dowdle
There will be plenty of uncertainty in the Cowboys’ running backs room heading into 2024, but the team can at least count on some continuity at the position. SportsTrust Advisors announced that running back Rico Dowdle is sticking in Dallas.
Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reports that Dowdle will be inking a new one-year deal with the Cowboys. The contract is worth $1.255MM and includes a $200K signing bonus.
The South Carolina product joined the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2020. After appearing in only 19 offensive snaps through his first three seasons in the NFL, Dowdle saw a larger role in 2023. The fourth-year player served as Tony Pollard‘s primary backup and finished the season with 505 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns on 106 touches. The 25-year-old also returned six kickoffs this past season.
Pollard left for the Titans in free agency, and the Cowboys have yet to add a replacement. That would leave Dowdle and 2023 sixth-round pick Deuce Vaughn atop the depth chart, with Malik Davis and Snoop Conner also around to soak up snaps.
Cowboys RBs Tony Pollard, Rico Dowdle Will Reach Free Agency
The Cowboys made a notable but expected move last offseason by cutting Ezekiel Elliott. The move brought an end to the former rushing champion’s time in Dallas, and it allowed a new group of backs to operate in his place. 
The position was led in 2023 by Tony Pollard, who flashed potential as a lead back during his time splitting reps with Elliott. Playing on the franchise tag, Pollard entered the season with considerable expectations, but his production was relatively underwhelming. The former fourth-rounder again reached 1,000 rushing yards, but he did so while averaging 1.2 fewer yards per carry than he did in 2022.
As a result, Pollard’s performance would make a second tag (valued at $12.1MM) a non-starter for the Cowboys. Indeed, the 26-year-old will be allowed to reach the open market next month, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports. The same is also true of backup Rico Dowdle, who has been with the team since 2020.
Dowdle’s role has been a minor one for much of his tenure, but earned the No. 2 spot during training camp last summer. Having seen only seven regular season carries before this season, the former UDFA received 89 in 2023. Dowdle produced 361 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, adding 144 yards and another pair of scores in the passing game. The 25-year-old could search out a more prominent role in free agency, although the list of high-profile veterans at the position will no doubt hinder the market for all involved.
If Pollard and Dowdle both depart, running back will be a position to watch closely in Dallas. The team’s third-leading rusher amongst running backs last season was rookie Deuce Vaughn, who saw just 23 carries. Even an uptick in usage for 2024 and beyond would need to be accompanied by an addition at the top of the depth chart. Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry and Austin Ekeler are among the backs set to reach free agency next month, so Dallas will have a number of options to choose from. Of course, new deals for Pollard and/or Dowdle should not be ruled out if they can be retained on cost-effective deals.