Pittsburgh’s new head coach, Mike McCarthy, isn’t shying away from a reunion with his former Green Bay quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. In his own words, McCarthy insisted, “that would be a great chapter in our career” if the QB-HC duo could recreate the spell they once had in Green Bay. But for that to happen, Rodgers first needs to commit to the 2026 season, and while he hasn’t said a word yet, the Steelers front office is already bringing in reinforcements should the epic McCarthy-Rodgers reunion plan fail.

“I’ve been the third emergency quarterback for the past two years with the Cowboys and the Panthers last year.” Steelers’ newly signed running back Rico Dowdle told Missi Matthews during an interview. “I’ve been the emergency quarterback on game days. But I definitely think it helps to see the defense and understand it a little bit better.”

When the Steelers signed Rico Dowdle to a two-year, $12.25 million deal, including a $5 million signing bonus, the front office wasn’t just looking at Rico’s explosive running back skills. His versatility to play as a quarterback was also a major selling point in bringing him to Pittsburgh.

After signing as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 2020, Rico Dowdle then moved to the Carolina Panthers in 2025, before finally landing in Pittsburgh.

Across his six seasons in the league, Dowdle has taken over the emergency QB role with his last two teams on many occasions. Reflecting on the same, the running back highlighted,

“I think it just helped me understand defenses better, honestly,” Rico told Missi during the interview, “You know, high school, it’s not the same level. High school is easier than college and the NFL, but just getting back there, seeing the defense from a quarterback perspective, I have been able to do that.”

The NFL star graduated from A.C. Reynolds High School, where he played football at both running back and quarterback. He led his team to an 11-2 record, including a perfect 6-0 in conference.

At quarterback, Dowdle rushed for 2,545 yards on 247 carries and 51 touchdowns, and another 1,434 yards with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. He was also named All-WNC Football Player of the Year by the Citizen-Times for his effort.

During high school, the running back received a lot of praise at the quarterback position as he played under Shane Laws.

“At the center of the 2015 game was Laws’ quarterback, who’d thrown for 120 yards and rushed for 271 and five touchdowns,” Charlotte Observer reporter Alex Zietlow reported. “One of those touchdowns was a scramble after a snap flew 15 yards over his head. The senior quarterback was unstoppable. Unbelievable. His name was Rico Dowdle.”

Dowdle’s experience at both quarterback and running back provides an ideal solution for Pittsburgh, allowing him to lighten Jaylen Warren’s workload in the backfield.

Secondly, head coach Mike McCarthy can utilize him as the emergency quarterback in case things don’t go as planned with Aaron Rodgers. That experience under center also gives him an edge, helping him read defenses better and ultimately making him more efficient on the field.

Over his five NFL seasons, Dowdle has appeared in 69 games with 26 starts. He has rushed for over 2,500 yards and scored 10 rushing touchdowns, along with six receiving touchdowns.

While the Steelers face a quarterback dilemma, Dowdle finds himself in a comfortable situation, having spent time with Mike McCarthy in Dallas previously.

Rico Dowdle reunited with former head coach Mike McCarthy

The running back set the record straight when he opened up about just how much that relationship mattered in his decision during his introductory press conference.

“When I came out of (the University of) South Carolina, Coach McCarthy and the Cowboys gave me my first opportunity in the NFL,” he explained. “I built that relationship with him. I was there with him in Dallas for, what, five years? So, yeah, just been building that relationship with him, and it definitely played a major role in my decision to come here to Pittsburgh.”

Rico’s words carry significant weight. After all, it was McCarthy in Dallas who coached Rico to one of his 1,000-yard seasons with the Cowboys in 2024. That significance matters here, as the two can once again recreate the same dominance in Pittsburgh.

Speaking further on McCarthy, the running back also compared him to former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and described him as a “player’s coach.”

“He’s a player’s coach, and like I said, he’s a great leader. He can lead this team, and obviously, he’s from here,” he said. “You’ve got your guy here, hometown guy, and I know he’s definitely looking forward to that. It would mean more to him to hold that (Super Bowl) trophy up in Pittsburgh.”

All of that familiarity and trust could go a long way to help him settle into his new role, providing the Steelers with a player who not only produces on the field but one who also understands the culture and expectations that McCarthy will bring.