FRISCO – The Dallas Cowboys’ rushing offense started the 2025 campaign in disaster. A lack of attention toward that area of the offense left the team underprepared heading into the season.
Originally, the Cowboys planned to have Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott split carries. That distribution changed dramatically in the second half of the season with Dowdle becoming the featured back and Elliott’s reps becoming scarce.
To his credit, the tenured practice squad player proved up to task, shouldering the load and finishing the season with 1,000 yards. Dowdle finally got his break and capitalized.
However, that breakout has not secured his future. The Cowboys have undergone some change of leadership with Mike McCarthy leaving The Star before Brian Schottenheimer was appointed head coach.
Schottenheimer has assembled a strong staff with a heavy focus on the run game. That should indicate a strong positive for a player like Dowdle who has paid his dues and shown he can contribute on Sundays. Given the team has already parted ways with Elliott and not shown much interest in Deuce Vaughn, it seems he would already harbor some favor with the Cowboys.
That may be the case, but what is also true here is the Cowboys’ need to improve the backfield altogether. For some NFL Draft analysts, that means the selection of a running back early in the first round.
Multiple mocks are connecting the Cowboys to Boise State running back and Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty in the first round. Jeanty, a native of Frisco, could be the first player at his position off the board, whether the Cowboys take him or not.
If that is the chosen course of action, Dowdle may not want to play backup or split the load with a younger player. Instead, he could decide to sign elsewhere, perhaps for more money.
ESPN’s Ben Solak made a bold Denver Broncos prediction for the offseason, positing that the team could try to get Dowdle out of Dallas to be featured in their offense next season. The Broncos are also looking to upgrade their running backs group to supplement the offense around Bo Nix.
If they miss on some bigger names like Aaron Jones, Solak believes Dowdle is a viable option for Denver. But the key decision comes on the part of the Cowboys here.
Dowdle has spent the entirety of his short career in Dallas. Assuming they want him back, they should have the means necessary to do so. If they go the opposite route, Dowdle will have suitors like the Broncos ready to add onto their roster for the 2025 season.
