The Carolina Panthers are having a sneaky good 2025 season, as Dave Canales' squad is 5-4 through nine games and is right in the middle of the NFC playoff picture.
There are a few players on the Panthers who have stepped up this year and are playing key roles, especially running back Rico Dowdle. The 27-year-old signed a one-year deal with Carolina in the offseason and has turned into one of the most impactful free agent signings of the season.
Dowdle has tallied 735 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 5.6 yards per carry in 2025. The South Carolina product turned in another masterful performance in Week 9 versus the Green Bay Packers, posting 130 rushing yards and two touchdowns in Carolina's 16-13 win. However, Dowdle did lose some money in the process.
The NFL fined Dowdle for his celebration after scoring a touchdown in the third quarter of last Sunday's contest. Dowdle did an iconic celebration from the television series Key & Peele.
Rico Dowdle:
/stops at two pumps
/gets flagged anyway
(the Panthers missed the ensuing extra point) pic.twitter.com/jrebsbE5Pn
— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) November 2, 2025
After getting fined by the league, Dowdle took to X and released a hilarious tweet, stating that he will start a GoFundMe page to pay his fine.
"Starting a go fund me 🤣 they got me 🥹," Dowdle said on X.
Dowdle ended up starting a GoFundMe, which will go to the 56-Children's Home Society of North Carolina.
The Panthers will return home to Bank of America Stadium to square off against the New Orleans Saints in Week 10.
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