Rico Dowdle’s warning to Cowboys gets a quick response from Schottenheimer
The Dallas Cowboys will face their former running back Rico Dowdle this Sunday when they head to Carolina to play the Panthers and Dowdle sent a warning.
Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle was given a shot at the RB1 spot with Chuba Hubbard on the sidelines, and on Sunday, he put up a pretty darn good argument to keep that spot even when Hubbard returns. Dowdle ran for a career-high 206 yards plus a touchdown in their 27-24 win over the Miami Dolphins.
Rico Dowdle is your week 5 waiver wire MVP 🐐 pic.twitter.com/RariE4uTMl
— Sleeper (@SleeperHQ) October 5, 2025
He’s looking to keep up that momentum as his new team gets ready to face his old team, the Dallas Cowboys, this Sunday.
Dowdle sends warning to Cowboys - Schotty responds
Dowdle joined the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2020, earning a spot on the 53-man roster as the third-string running back behind Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. He contributed mostly on special teams that season, appearing in 15 games with limited offensive touches. After suffering from injuries in the next two seasons, Dowdle finally had a breakthrough in 2023, recording 361 rushing yards, 144 receiving yards, and four total touchdowns across 16 games.
Re-signed in 2024, Dowdle made franchise history by becoming the first undrafted player in Cowboys history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season, solidifying his status as one of the league’s top comeback stories. After that, however, the Cowboys let him walk in free agency rather than re-signing him, and he joined the Panthers on a one-year, $6.25 million contract.
Now, as he prepares to face Dallas for the first time, he sent a playful warning to his former team, telling them to “buckle up”.
Rico Dowdle next gets to face his former Cowboys team: “They gotta buckle up. I think they know.” pic.twitter.com/7PHBHwZsK9
— Joe Person (@josephperson) October 5, 2025
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who coached Dowdle during his Dallas tenure, fired back lightheartedly.
“It’ll be good to see Rico this weekend,” Schottenheimer said. “I know we’re gonna have to buckle up. We’ll bring our seatbelts, Rico. We’ll buckle up. Can’t wait to see him though.”
The two share a strong connection from their time together in Dallas, but both sides will be eager to prove a point when they meet on Sunday. Kickoff from Bank of America Stadium will be at 1 p.m. ET this Sunday, October 12, and you can follow along with all the action with AS USA’s live updates brought to you by yours truly.
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