Panthers' Rico Dowdle: Uncertain to return to Carolina

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General manager Dan Morgan said Tuesday that the door is open for Dowdle to return to Carolina in 2026, but the Panthers will give him the opportunity to test the market in free agency, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

Though the Panthers are seemingly keen on retaining Dowdle at the right price, it's possible that the franchise won't be able to afford the running back coming off his second straight 1,000-yard rushing season. If Dowdle heads elsewhere, Morgan expressed confidence in the remaining members of the running back room (Chuba Hubbard, Jonathon Brooks and Trevor Etienne) being capable of picking up the slack. After opening 2025 as the Panthers' starter before sliding to second on the depth chart, Hubbard had already moved back into a near-even timeshare with Dowdle by the end of the regular season and then handily out-snapped and out-touched Dowdle in the Panthers' wild-card loss to the Rams.