Is Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle going to stay home beyond the 2025 season?
The Gaffney, S.C. native and University of South Carolina product chatted with reporters following Friday’s practice, just ahead of his team’s prime-time matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Dowdle, who’s set to become a free agent in 2026, underlined the importance of performing well week in and week out—regardless of the stage.
“Every week is an audition, with me being on a one-year contract,” he stated. “And for everybody in here—it’s an audition. All 31 teams are always watching, so I wouldn’t say just this week in particular. But I definitely know I gotta go out there and do my best.”
The Panthers signed Dowdle this past spring, to a one-year deal worth up to $6.25 million. His breakout campaign has him angling towards that maximum number—as he’s already hit $1.25 million in performance incentives by reaching 800 and 900 yards from scrimmage and six total touchdowns.
Dowdle, who’s sitting on 1,030 scrimmage yards through 11 games, has a chance to bag another $500,000 on Monday if he accumulates 70 more yards—a pretty safe bet given his massive role in Carolina’s offense. His pact—per Spotrac—also includes performance incentives for hitting 1,350 yards from scrimmage ($1 million), eight touchdowns ($250,000) and a Pro Bowl selection ($500,000).
ESPN’s David Newton would then ask Dowdle if he’s spoken to the Panthers about a contract extension yet. His reply was short and sweet . . .
The 27-year-old enters Week 12 as the NFL’s fourth-leading rusher (833 yards).
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