Rico Dowdle will ply his trade in familiar territory, chasing a bigger payday. With a second-year quarterback and an evolving offensive line, the Carolina Panthers need Chuba Hubbard’s backup to deliver more than just carries—they need quality ones. For Carolina to succeed, the run game can’t rest solely on Hubbard’s shoulders. Instead, they’ll need to wear defenses down with a two-pronged attack.
What Is Rico Dowdle’s NFL Contract?
With the Dallas Cowboys and Dowdle parting ways, the Asheville, N.C., native returns home. He signed a one-year contract with the Panthers, ending a 52-game, five-year stint in Dallas. The Cowboys originally signed him as an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina in 2020.
Dowdle will likely enter the summer as the No. 2 back behind Hubbard. But he can feel good about his deal — one year, $2.75 million, including a $1 million signing bonus. If he makes the most of limited snaps, he could earn more veteran contracts that build long-term value.
For an undrafted free agent, Dowdle has built a solid financial résumé. He earned $4.28 million during his time in Dallas, including the 2021 season he missed with a hip injury. Now, in Carolina, he gets a fresh start. The Panthers also drafted Trevor Etienne to round out the depth chart, and head coach Dave Canales values physical runners who can grind between the tackles.
That style fits Dowdle perfectly. A one-year deal could lead to a two-year extension, or a journeyman path bouncing around as roster depth. Either way, the Asheville product gets a shot to change his narrative close to home.
Dowdle grew up not far from the Queen City. Now comes the challenge of shifting from starter to reserve. Despite a career-best 1,079 rushing yards and two touchdowns last season, Dowdle will support Hubbard, who recently signed a multi-year extension. Dowdle ranked 13th in scrimmage yards (1,328) on the NFL’s 23rd-ranked offense, according to PFSN’s Offense+ metric.
Cowboys former running back Rico Dowdle was initially out of Panthers price range per Dan Morgan pic.twitter.com/TjivoDxDBi
— Blande (@JustBlande)
Dowdle told Panthers team reporter Kassidy Hill that other factors also influenced his decision, not just the hometown connection:
“That’s something you look at, at the offensive line, evaluate it like, ‘OK, yeah, those guys are doing that, you know, they’re pretty good,'” Dowdle said. “So, when I knew I was coming here, I started doing my research and stuff on the O-line, seeing all the positive on it and how they’ve built it up these past couple years. So, that definitely was intriguing to see.
“With those guys up front, I’ve watched a little bit of film already, and those guys, they pretty much run mid-zone, similar to what—we ran outside-zone in Dallas.”