Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Javonte Williams

Sunday, January 11, 12:48 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle, who will be a free agent in March, said his decreased number of carries at the end of the season will impact his thinking in free agency, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. Dowdle said he wants to go somewhere "where he can get the bulk of the carries." The 27-year-old was an unquestioned RB1 during the 2025 season when Chuba Hubbard missed time with an injury. However, Dowdle was involved in more of a timeshare late in the year following Hubbard's return, and he watched Hubbard score twice in the Wild-Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday. He had only five rushing attempts for nine yards while adding one catch on two targets for six yards. In the final four regular-season games, Dowdle averaged only 3.3 yards per carry as his role shrank. It sounds as though Dowdle doesn't plan on signing in Carolina, but it remains to be seen if he'll be able to land a lead-back role elsewhere in free agency.

Wednesday, January 7, 1:33 PM

Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said on Wednesday that re-signing running back Javonte Williams is at the top of the team's list of offseason priorities, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. "We want to bring him back and sign him to a multiple-year deal," Jones said. It's not the first time the Cowboys have said this after the 25-year-old Williams exceeded expectations in his first year in Dallas in 2025. The former Denver Broncos RB had the first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career, gaining 1,210 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns on the ground on 252 carries over 16 games. Williams added 35 receptions on 51 targets for 137 yards and two more scores to finish as the RB11 in half-PPR scoring. He finished the year on Injured Reserve due to a nagging shoulder injury, but he should be ready in plenty of time for Week 1 of the 2026 season. If he returns to Dallas, Williams should be the clear RB1 option out of the backfield.