5 Potential Rico Dowdle Replacements for Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers may need a replacement for Rico Dowdle, at least in the short-term.

Dowdle suffered a toe injury in the Steelers' Week 2 loss against the New England Patriots. The injury appeared to occur in the second quarter on a strip sack of Aaron Rodgers, and Dowdle was subsequently carted to the locker room.

The 28-year-old returned in the third quarter, though he was later ruled out for the remainder of the contest after recording four touches in the second half.

Dowdle's long-term prognosis isn't yet known, and more will be revealed about his status moving forward once Pittsburgh's first injury report before its Week 3 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals comes out on September 23.

If the Steelers need someone to step in and take his place for any amount of time, however, here are the top candidates the team should have in mind.

Lew Nichols

Nichols was a standout for Pittsburgh all throughout the summer, and he has a strong case for being the best pure runner within the organization behind Dowdle and Jaylen Warren.

A seventh-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in 2023, Nichols has never garnered a single touch during the regular season. He has, however, logged 174 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries to go with 50 yards on eight receptions over the past two preseasons for the Steelers.

He's still unproven, but Nichols' size, vision and power as well as his usefulness in the passing game make him an intriguing option to be elevated from the practice squad and potentially signed to the 53-man roster if needed to take Dowdle's spot while he's on the mend.

Travis Homer

Homer was elevated from the practice squad ahead of Pittsburgh's bout with the Patriots.

Though he's almost strictly a special teamer, evidenced by the fact that he played 10 snaps on that side of the ball against New England, Homer also racked up 16 yards on two carries while Dowdle was sidelined.

Homer can still be elevated two more times before he must be signed to the 53-man roster or placed on waivers before potentially re-signing to the practice squad.

He doesn't offer much upside offensively, though he is an eight-year veteran who at least proved that he can be efficient over a small sample size.

Eli Heidenreich

As the only other running back on the 53-man roster beyond Warren and Dowdle, Heidenreich has an inherent advantage in that regard over Nichols and Homer.

The seventh-round pick out of Navy has just three touches on offense across two games thus far, though, while serving as a return specialist and special teamer for the Steelers.

Heidenreich isn't necessarily a skilled runner, with his offensive value coming from his versatility and pass-catching ability, though he did show some flashes in the preseason finale vs. the Buffalo Bills by running for 35 yards and a touchdown on nine attempts.

Antonio Gibson

Gibson tore his ACL in Week 5 last season as a member of the New England Patriots and was later cut in February.

He's remained a free agent ever since, though he's a capable backup running back to throw into the mix for Pittsburgh who has also returned 56 kicks for 1,407 yards and a touchdown during his career.

In his last full season back in 2024, Gibson finished with 744 yards from scrimmage (538 rushing, 206 receiving) for New England.

The Steelers could stash Gibson on their practice squad as a solid veteran option and call on him down the line as one of several potential replacements for Dowdle.

Jerome Ford

Ford signed to the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad on September 16, but Pittsburgh could still sign him to its 53-man roster in a pinch.

The 27-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Washington Commanders this offseason and was later released with an injury settlement in August.

Ford, as a member of the Cleveland Browns, finished the 2025 campaign on the reserve/injured list with a shoulder injury. He was not efficient for the team when healthy last year, posting 176 yards from scrimmage on 50 touches in 13 games, though he ran for a combined 1,378 yards and seven touchdowns while racking up 544 yards and five scores through the air on 81 catches between the 2023 and 2024 campaigns.

Opening up a 53-man roster spot for Ford would only be possible if Dowdle lands on IR or if the Steelers cut someone else in order to carry four running backs, but he'd make sense as a possible addition if that's the route they take.

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