Rico Dowdle played for Mike McCarthy in Dallas, so McCarthy knows his running style well—but what is it, exactly? At 5-11, 215 pounds, he certainly presents a certain profile at the running back position. Coming off consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, he’s looking for a third with his third different team. But how will he get there?
“I could say there’s some truth to that”, Dowdle told Missi Matthews for the Steelers’ website when told how his former Panthers head coach, Dave Canales, describes his running style. “Tempo, I definitely want to be patient a little bit and then go, and then be violent once I do get north and south. I definitely take pride in being violent when I’m running the football”.
Watching Dowdle on the field, one can see where that description comes from. He knows how to use his size, and can use his frame to break tackles. When he is in open space, he can even hit another gear, even if it’s not a breakaway one. But he also exhibits some patience behind the line of scrimmage and has the vision to allow the play to develop. I wouldn’t call him a Le’Veon Bell clone, but he knows how to move—and when to move.
Rico Dowdle versus Dolphins last season. 234 total yards on 26 touches with runs of 53, 43, 25, 16, 14, 13, 11 and 11 yardspic.twitter.com/6D9nnyZMib
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) March 9, 2026
Not that it’s anything new to him. “I definitely think I’ve been like that since I was little”, Rico Dowdle said of his running style. He also told Matthews that two running backs he studied for their physicality were Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch. As William Gay knows well, Peterson could certainly plaster a defender. And Lynch, well, there’s a reason they call him Beast Mode.
The Steelers lost RB Kenneth Gainwell this offseason, who signed two-year, $14 million contract. But they quickly pivoted, adding Rico Dowdle on a two-year, $12.25 million deal. The two are rather different styles of running back, Gainwell more finesse with a bigger role in the passing game. But Dowdle can catch and run as well, and the Steelers figure to take advantage of that.
Pittsburgh still has Jaylen Warren in the backfield, and Dowdle gives them a more harmonious one-two punch. They have similar skill sets, so the offense doesn’t have to change much, if at all, based on who is in the lineup. But they’re also different enough that defenses have to respect whoever is on the field.
The trait that intrigues me most is Rico Dowdle’s vision. Turning diagnosis into action is critical. While he hasn’t done that consistently throughout his career, he has done it enough. And if the Steelers’ offensive line can open running lanes, or even creases, he could give them a high success rate this year.
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