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Rico Dowdle

#13 RB / Pittsburgh Steelers / EXP: 7YRS Height: 6-0 Weight: 215 lb Age: 28 College: South Carolina Bye 9

Fantasy Points by Week

  • PROJ
  • FANTASY PTS
Rost
99%
Start
58%
RB Rank
32

  • by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

    Steelers' Rico Dowdle: Sharing backfield with Warren

    Rico Dowdle, who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in March, is set to work in tandem with Jaylen Warren this coming season, Kevin Hutchinson of steelersnow.com reports.On the heels of back-to-back seasons (one with Dallas and one with Carolina) during which he topped 1,000 rushing yards, Dowdle bolsters a Steelers backfield that saw Kenneth Gainwell depart via free agency this offseason. It remains to be seen how the carries/targets will be divided between Warren and Dowdle in 2026, but the two players' different skill sets could lead to a "thunder and lightning" approach utilizing Warren's shiftiness and quickness and Dowdle's bruising style. Also in the mix for complementary touches are 2025 third-rounder Kaleb Johnson and versatile rookie Eli Heidenreich, with added context regarding Pittsburgh's backfield approach set to arrive once team drills commence in training camp.

  • by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

    Steelers' Rico Dowdle: Headed to Pittsburgh

    Rico Dowdle is slated to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL reporter Jordan Schultz reports.Per NFL.com, it's a two-year, $12.25 million deal for Dowdle, who is set to move over to the AFC after one year in Carolina. He produced a 236-1,076-6 regular-season rushing line last season with the Panthers, which was nearly identical to the 235-1,079-2 line he posted during his 2024 breakout campaign with the Cowboys. Dowdle also caught exactly 39 passes each of the past two seasons, totaling 546 yards and four touchdowns, and he's chipped in as a kick returner throughout his career. The Steelers have Jaylen Warren locked in as their primary RB, so Dowdle figures to form a 1-2 punch with the incumbent starter, though his role may be somewhat different from that of Kenneth Gainwell, who featured as a pass catcher in 2025 but is departing in free agency to Tampa Bay.

  • by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

    Panthers' Rico Dowdle: Uncertain to return to Carolina

    General manager Dan Morgan said Tuesday that the door is open for Rico Dowdle to return to Carolina in 2026, but the Carolina 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.

  • by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

    Panthers' Rico Dowdle: Another quiet showing

    Rico Dowdle recorded five rushes for nine yards in Saturday's 34-31 wild-card loss to the Rams. He added one reception on two targets for six yards.Dowdle has been particularly inefficient to close the season, averaging only 3.3 yards per carry across Carolina's final four regular-season contests. He also lost his status as the team's lead back in the playoff loss, with Chuba Hubbard out-touching Dowdle 15-6. Dowdle is headed to free agency for the second consecutive offseason, and he is likely to be signed as a complementary back given his fade down the stretch after a strong start to 2025.

  • by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

    Panthers' Rico Dowdle: Forgettable afternoon in loss

    Rico Dowdle rushed seven times for 10 yards and brought in both targets for 20 yards in the Carolina Panthers' 16-14 loss to the Buccaneers on Saturday. He also lost a fumble and recovered another.Neither Dowdle nor Chuba Hubbard had any success against the Buccaneers' stout defensive front, with each back netting only 10 rushing yards. Dowdle made an impact with a 25-yard grab on one of his catches, while his other reception resulted in a five-yard loss. Additionally, his lost fumble came early in the fourth quarter at the Buccaneers' 24-yard line on a botched trick play, and while it didn't lead to points since Chase McLaughlin had a 38-yard field-goal attempt blocked, it certainly robbed Carolina of what seemed to be a high-percentage scoring opportunity. Despite the disappointing finale, Dowdle had plenty of important contributions in his first Panthers season on his way to 1,076 rushing yards and six touchdowns alongside a 39-297-1 receiving line over 17 games, and he'll continue to play a key role in next weekend's wild-card round if the Falcons defeat the Saints on Sunday and make the Panthers the NFC South champions in the process.

  • by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

    Panthers' Rico Dowdle: Logs full practice Wednesday

    Rico Dowdle (toe) practiced fully Wednesday, Darin Gantt of the Carolina Panthers' official site reports.Dowdle was held out of Tuesday's walkthrough due to what coach Dave Canales called a sore toe, per Gannt. However, Dowdle's return to all activity one day later indicates the absence likely was maintenance-based more than anything. Since the Panthers' Week 14 bye, Dowdle has turned 45 touches into 160 yards from scrimmage and one TD, while fellow RB Chuba Hubbard notched 90 total yards and no TDs on 23 touches during that span. Expect a similar breakdown of reps between the two Saturday at Tampa Bay with a potential playoff berth on the line.

  • by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

    Panthers' Rico Dowdle: Returns to practice Wednesday

    Rico Dowdle (toe) is participating in practice Wednesday, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.Dowdle missed Tuesday's walk-through practice due to a sore toe, so it's encouraging to see him already back on the field as at least a limited participant. As long as Dowdle is able to continue practicing in some capacity Thursday, it will bode well for his chances of being cleared to face the Buccaneers on Sunday, a contest that may determine the winner of the NFC South title. Dowdle exploded onto the scene midway through the 2025 regular season and revitalized Carolina's rushing game, but he's since been in a slump, having averaged just 47.3 rushing yards per game across his last seven appearances.

  • by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

    Panthers' Rico Dowdle: Misses practice with sore toe

    Head coach Dave Canales said that Rico Dowdle was held out of Tuesday's walk-through practice due to a sore toe, Darin Gantt of the Carolina Panthers' official site reports.Canales termed Dowdle's absence as a rest day and labeled him day-to-day, which suggests the Panthers aren't too concerned about the running back's availability for Saturday's regular-season finale at Tampa Bay. The Panthers will wait and see if Dowdle is able to get back on the practice field in some fashion Wednesday and/or Thursday before determining his status for Saturday. Given that the NFC South title may be at stake in the game, expect Dowdle to do everything in his power to suit up against the Buccaneers, and he also has plenty of financial incentive to be in the lineup -- he needs just seven more scrimmage yards to trigger a $1 million bonus in his contract.

  • by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

    Panthers' Rico Dowdle: Tough sledding against Seattle

    Rico Dowdle carried the ball 12 times for 59 yards and caught three of five targets for four yards in Sunday's 27-10 loss to the Seahawks.The Carolina Panthers' offense couldn't get anything going Sunday until it was too late, and Dowdle wound up falling short of 60 rushing yards for the seventh straight game. Despite the late-season slump, the fifth-year back is still just 14 rushing yards short of setting a new career high after amassing 1,079 yards with the Cowboys in 2024. Dowdle may need to find another gear in Week 18 against the Buccaneers with the NFC South title, and a playoff spot, on the line with a Carolina win. Note that the Panthers can also win the division if the Falcons win their next two games, no matter what Carolina does in the finale.

  • by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

    Panthers' Rico Dowdle: Over 40 scrimmage yards in win

    Rico Dowdle rushed nine times for 29 yards and brought in four of six targets for 14 yards in the Carolina Panthers' 23-20 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday.Dowdle outpaced Chuba Hubbard by just three carries and two rushing yards, as both backs had a predictably difficult time versus the Buccaneers' typically stingy run defense. With Sunday's production, Dowdle did exceed 1,000 rushing yards for the second consecutive campaign, but he's been at 58 rushing yards or fewer in six consecutive games heading into a Week 17 home matchup against a tough Seahawks defense.

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