TL;DR
- Rico Dowdle unexpectedly became the Carolina Panthers' lead running back, surpassing Chuba Hubbard.
- Dowdle's emergence creates a contract dilemma for the Panthers due to Hubbard's large deal.
- Carolina must find creative solutions to retain Dowdle, a soon-to-be free agent.
- Dowdle's future with the Panthers is uncertain, making it a significant offseason storyline.
The Carolina Panthers certainly didn't plan for this.
When they signed Rico Dowdle in the offseason, it was to be Chuba Hubbard's backup running back.
That didn't last long, though. When Hubbard missed two weeks early in the year, Dowdle totaled more than 200 yards from scrimmage in both of them.
Dowdle has hardly looked back since, and now the Panthers have a problem. Hubbard is in the midst of a four-year, $33.2 million contract. How can they pay the soon-to-be free agent Dowdle?
"The Panthers signed him on a one-year deal to back up Chuba Hubbard, who got a four-year, $33.2 million deal toward the end of last season," ESPN's David Newton wrote on Friday. "But Dowdle has emerged as the lead back and a valuable asset. Keeping him will be tough with Hubbard's contract, so Carolina will have to be creative to prevent Dowdle from hitting free agency."
The positive for Carolina is that there are a lot of ways to move money around on contracts in the NFL. The Panthers could do some restructuring of Hubbard's contract, or they could give Dowdle an odd structure that doesn't hamper Carolina too badly in 2026 but also gets Dowdle the payday he deserves.
It does feel like it'll end up being a swim upstream for the Panthers. There are more factors working against them than for them here.
Dowdle likely does appreciate that Carolina gave him a chance after the Dallas Cowboys didn't want him back despite a 1,000-yard 2024. Maybe that'll lead to some loyalty to the Panthers, especially given that they've now put Dowdle clearly ahead of Hubbard in the pecking order despite what the current contracts say.
But it'll be a big storyline for the Panthers' offseason either way. Is Dowdle staying or going? It'll be tough to figure out until it happens.
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