Rico Dowdle was on a tear this season after Chuba Hubbard went down, emerging as one of the best backs in the league this season. With his rise, it’s worth taking a look at his current contract, salary, and net worth, as well as what a future deal could look like if he keeps this up.
What Is Rico Dowdle’s Current Contract?
This past offseason, the Carolina Panthers signed Dowdle to a one-year, guaranteed deal worth $2,750,000, which included a $1,000,000 signing bonus.
According to Spotrac, Dowdle was eligible for several incentives, and he hit all of them apart from making the Pro Bowl and scoring eight touchdowns.
- 800 yards from scrimmage: $500,000
- 950 yards from scrimmage: $500,000
- 1,100 yards from scrimmage: $500,000
- 1,350 yards from scrimmage: $1 million
- 6 total touchdowns: $250,000
- 8 total touchdowns: $250,000
- Pro Bowl: $500,000
In 17 games during the regular season, Dowdle totaled 1.076 rushing yards and 297 receiving yards, giving him 1,373 scrimmage yards. He has also scored seven total touchdowns, with six rushing and one receiving.
Dowdle’s Net Worth
There’s no official number for Dowdle’s net worth, but we can speculate based on his NFL earnings.
Dowdle entered the league in 2020 as an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina. The Dallas Cowboys signed him to a three-year deal worth $2,295,000, with an annual salary of $765,000. Dallas brought him back on a one-year contract in 2023 worth $1,040,000, and again in 2024 for $1,255,000. His total career earnings are listed at $7,028,838.
Given this, his net worth is likely in the mid-single-digit millions, potentially even approaching $10 million.
Dowdle’s Future Contract
With his deal in Carolina expiring and this season shaping up to be the best of his career, Dowdle is poised for a long-term payday.
The average annual salary of the NFL’s top ten running backs is currently $13.52 million per year. Dowdle is emerging as a borderline top-five back, both on the field and on the stat sheet, with PFSN ranking him #13 in their RB Impact metric. At 27, he’s neither particularly young nor old for the position and has relatively low mileage for his career.
A new deal in the $8–12 million per year range feels realistic. The question is whether Carolina will be the team to give him that contract, or if he’ll find a new home. The Panthers have already invested a significant amount of money and draft capital in the position.
Last year, they extended Hubbard at $8.3 million per year over four years, making him the 15th-highest-paid running back. They also signed Miles Sanders in 2023 for $6.35 million annually and drafted Jonathon Brooks 46th overall in 2024, although he has been a non-factor due to injury.
It’s hard to predict where Dowdle will land, but a sizable offer should be waiting for him.
Carolina Panthers’ Stats and Insights for Wild Card Round
Team:Â The Panthers scored 19 points or fewer in ten games this season, which was second most behind three teams. Carolina lost eight of the ten games. The Eagles, with eight, have the next highest amount of games with 19 points or fewer by a playoff team.
Playoffs: Carolina hasn’t won a playoff game since 2015, when they defeated the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship game.
OFF:Â Bryce Young had his best career QBi score (82.8, B-) against the Rams in Week 13.
OFF:Â Tetairoa McMillan led rookie WRs in catches (70), yards (1,014), and TDs (7), and ranked 44th in WRi.
DEF: The Panthers’ point differential was -69, the fourth-worst for a playoff team in NFL history.
