Free agent Rico Dowdle, Panthers comply with 1-year deal
The Carolina Panthers bolstered their backfield Wednesday, agreeing to a one-year contract with free agent operating again Rico Dowdle, the crew introduced.
Sources informed ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Dowdle’s deal is value $3 million however may develop to as a lot as $6.5 million.
Dowdle, who’s from Asheville, North Carolina, and performed on the College of South Carolina, is coming off a 1,000-yard season with the Dallas Cowboys.
With the Panthers, he’ll again up Chuba Hubbard, who was given a four-year, $33.2 million extension this previous season, when he had a career-high 1,195 yards speeding and 10 touchdowns.
Dowdle will fill the spot left by Miles Sanders, who was launched Tuesday after the 2 sides could not attain an settlement on a contract restructure.
Carolina wanted one other confirmed again with 2024 second-round decide Jonathon Brooks rehabbing from ACL surgical procedure to the identical proper knee he injured in school in November 2023. Brooks was anticipated to overlook most, if not all, of the upcoming season.
The one different again on the roster was Emani Bailey, who has not appeared in an NFL recreation for the reason that Kansas Metropolis Chiefs signed him final 12 months as an undrafted rookie out of TCU.
Dowdle, 26, turned the primary undrafted operating again in Cowboys historical past to eclipse 1,000 speeding yards in a season when he completed with 1,079 in 2024.
The Cowboys opened the season with a by-committee method at operating again, however turned to Dowdle over Ezekiel Elliott on the halfway level of the season and he responded. He posted 4 100-yard speeding video games in a five-week interval.
He turned the primary undrafted participant with three straight video games of 100-plus speeding yards since Arian Foster in 2014.
Former Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy mentioned Dowdle’s subsequent step was to develop into an every-down again as he improved his blocking and go catching. He caught 39 passes for 249 yards and three scores in 2024.
Accidents delayed his function within the offense with a hip harm forcing him to take a seat out the 2021 season and an ankle harm limiting him to 5 video games in 2022. In 2023, he labored in a backfield with Tony Pollard and ran for 361 yards and two touchdowns on 89 carries after coming into that season with seven carries for twenty-four yards in his profession.
ESPN’s David Newton and Todd Archer contributed to this report.
