Rico Dowdle is out of Carolina — and he wasted no time taking a parting shot at the Panthers’ offense.
Shortly after signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency, the veteran running back appeared to take a pointed shot at Panthers head coach Dave Canales and the team’s offensive philosophy.
Dowdle posted a message on X that quickly caught the attention of NFL fans.
“Last time I had any type of input omm.”
Last time I had any type of input 😂 omm https://t.co/ANSMwv9qOz
— Rico Dowdle (@ricodowdle) March 13, 2026
Minutes later, he followed with another post that hinted at frustration with his role in Carolina’s offense.
“Get hard when you run the same thing 75/100 times.”
Get hard when you run the same thing 75/100 times. 🫠🤫 https://t.co/s7RhOoh7UY
— Rico Dowdle (@ricodowdle) March 13, 2026
While Dowdle didn’t mention Canales directly, the timing and context made the target of his frustration fairly clear.
A Frustrating Finish in Carolina
Dowdle’s comments appear to reflect lingering frustration from his lone season with the Carolina Panthers.
The veteran running back was one of the team’s most productive offensive players during the 2025 season, finishing with 1,076 rushing yards and six touchdowns while also contributing as a receiver out of the backfield. In Weeks 5 and 6, Dowdle rushed for 389 yards and a touchdown while adding 84 receiving yards and a score during that span.
Yet, his workload became increasingly inconsistent as the season progressed and Carolina often moved away from the run in key stretches. Dowdle’s social media activity during the season occasionally hinted at confusion with the offensive approach, and his latest posts suggest that frustration never fully went away.
The tweets appear to criticize the predictability of the Panthers’ offensive play-calling under Canales and his lack of input in the game plan.
A Fresh Start in Pittsburgh
Now Dowdle gets the fresh start he was clearly looking for.
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed the 27-year-old running back to strengthen their backfield heading into the 2026 season, giving him a chance to carve out a significant role in one of the league’s most run-centric offenses.
Pittsburgh has consistently built its identity around running the football, and Dowdle’s downhill running style fits naturally within that system.
For a player who seemed frustrated with how he was used in Carolina, the move could represent a much better schematic fit in Mike McCarthy’s offense.
According to Steelers reporter Nick Farabaugh, Dowdle said that the Steelers-Panthers game at home is “definitely circled for sure.”
Given Dowdle’s pointed social media posts about the Panthers’ offense, that meeting suddenly looks like one of the more intriguing revenge games of the NFL season.
Rico Dowdle says that his game against the Panthers this year is 'definitely circled for sure.'
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) March 13, 2026
Message Sent
Whether Dowdle intended his posts to spark controversy or simply vent frustration, the message was unmistakable.
His time with the Panthers may be over but it’s clear he didn’t leave with many fond memories of how the offense was run.
And if his social media posts are any indication, the Steelers may be getting a running back who feels he still has something to prove.
