Rico Dowdle Has Big Goal for First Steelers Season

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers made sure that this free agency period would be one where they address concerns with depth and talent on both sides of the ball.

The team addressed both the secondary and skill corps, with big additions including Michael Pittman Jr., Jaquan Brisker and Rico Dowdle. Dowdle, in particular, has an important goal with counting stats in mind when it comes to the 2026 season.

Dowdle is coming off back-to-back 1000-yard seasons, and with that in mind, he is focused on repeating that feat for the coming year. In a recent media availability, Dowdle spoke about the streak, the possibility of keeping it alive and his focus for the season.

"Not necessarily that it doesn't mean something to me, but it's behind me now," Dowdle said in an interview with Steelers.com's Missi Matthews. "Now, it's can I go do it again? I've gotta go do it again this year. It doesn't really matter. I've got to where I'm at now, I've did it, I'm definitely proud that I've been able to accomplish that, being undrafted, but I've gotta continue to put my best foot forward and do it again. That's the goal."

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Dowdle joins the team after two standout seasons that involved him leading a tough rushing attack in both Dallas and Carolina, where he averaged 4.6 yards in both years.

Can the Steelers work out for Dowdle in 2026?

With Kenneth Gainwell having left the team in free agency, the team needed to fill the void left and find a second running back to pair with Jaylen Warren. Dowdle is a different running back archetype as compared to Gainwell, as he does not offer the same amount of receiving upside as the latter did considering he had the Steelers' second-highest receiving yard total (486) during the 2025 season.

In 2026, the Steelers running backs will operate in a more traditional sense than they have in previous years due to the talent involved in the backfield, but a new coaching staff could have the team's offense run more efficiently.

Jan 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Joe McCarthy Jr. (left) and Ellen McCarthy (right) flank their son Mike McCarthy (middle) at a press conference announcing Mike as the new Pittsburgh Steelers head coach at PNC Champions Club at Acrisure Stadium.. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Despite the Steelers not retaining their marquee talent and team MVP in Gainwell, the Steelers put more effort than in season's past to reload on talent as soon as the free agency period opened. The offense, now led by head coach Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio, should be able to thrive if they can find a quarterback that provides above-average play at some point during the season.

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