Carolina Panthers agree to terms on contract with former Dallas Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle
The Carolina Panthers have found a new tag-team partner for Chuba Hubbard in the backfield.
The team agreed to terms Wednesday on a 1-year contract with former Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle, a league source told The Observer. The contract agreement features a $2.7 million base salary that can rise to $6.25 million with playing incentives, according to a separate league source.
NFL Network initial reported the incentives package.
Dowdle, an Asheville, NC, native, is coming off a five-year run with Dallas. The talented running back, who played college ball at South Carolina, produced 1,079 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns during his final year with the Cowboys. During that breakout season, Rowdle started 15 of 16 games.
Dowdle’s impending partnership with Hubbard gives the Panthers two 1,000-yard rushers to build their ground game around. Similar to Hubbard, the 26-year-old running back, listed as 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds, offers three-down ability and has limited wear on his body due to spending four years as a backup.
Hubbard and Dowdle can bob and weave throughout the backfield and even be used together in two-back looks. Dowdle caught 39 passes for 249 yards and three receiving touchdowns in 2024, so he’s more than capable of handling heavy work in the passing game as well.
The 26-year-old playmaker, who went A.C. Reynolds High, could earn himself a big deal if he performs at a high level. Dowdle effectively replaces Miles Sanders, who was released on Tuesday ahead of free agency.
With Jonathon Brooks coming off his second ACL surgery in as many offseasons, the Panthers need a backfield partner for Hubbard. If Brooks misses all or most of the season, Dowdle should receive a major workload in 2025, while keeping Hubbard fresh down the stretch.
This story was originally published March 12, 2025 at 7:29 PM.
