The now-former Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers 1,000-yard rusher Rico Dowdle is signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers on a two-year, $12.25 million deal, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Monday night.
Dowdle departs Charlotte after just one season, but his second in a row topping 1,000 yards and looks to fill a void left by Kenneth Gainwell for the Steelers. Dowdle will also reunite with Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy, who was his HC in Dallas, including in his breakout 2024 campaign.
Gainwell is signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leaving a spot for Dowdle to fill alongside Jaylen Warren. Ranked 82nd on Gregg Rosenthal’s top 101 free agents list, Dowdle was the fourth-best RB option in the 2026 free-agent class, per Rosenthal.