Carolina Panthers' head coach Dave Canales gave a promising update on both RB Rico Dowdle and OL Robert Hunt on Tuesday.
After a heartbreaking loss in Week 17, the Carolina Panthers are now set to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the final game of the 2025 regular season.
The primetime matchup will have massive implications for which team ultimately claims the NFC South title this season, as a Carolina loss and an Atlanta Falcons’ victory on Sunday would force a three-way tie for the division.
Luckily, head coach Dave Canales gave a promising update on two star players for the Panthers ahead of Week 18.
During Tuesday’s practice period for the Panthers, it was noted that star running back Rico Dowdle was not a participant. However, Canales cleared the air when speaking to the media, claiming that Dowdle was “a little bit more sore than normal.”
"[Rico] came out of the game a little bit more sore than normal," Canales said. "And so we just decided to give him a rest day and, well, I'm pretty confident that he'll be able to go, but we've got to just take it day by day and see what he can do tomorrow."
Dowdle has been a key piece to Carolina’s offensive attack this year after signing with the organization in the offseason. In his 16 games played, the 27-year-old tallied 1,066 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 229 attempts.
While many believed that Dowdle would serve as the backup running back to Chuba Hubbard, the former Dallas Cowboys rusher took full advantage of an injury that sidelined Hubbard for two games. In the two-game stretch without the Panthers’ top running back, Dowdle exploded onto the scene, racking up 399 rushing yards and one touchdown on 33 carries.
Another name to watch for is veteran right guard Robert Hunt, whose 21-day window to return from the IR recently opened. When asked about Hunt, Canales said that Tuesday’s practice was “a promising step in the right direction.”
"We'll have a couple more days to look at that to make a decision for this week, and then we got to see what happens," Canales stated. "So, I wouldn't say today like 'Yes, Rob's going,' but I think that today was a promising step in the right direction."
Hunt, who suffered a torn bicep in the team’s Week 2 contest against the Arizona Cardinals, has been the missing piece to the Panthers’ offensive line this season. Carolina has used a combination of guards to fill in for the injured linemen, including sliding center Austin Colbertt to right guard.
If Hunt is ready to go for the team’s Week 18 matchup, he will provide a significant boost for quarterback Bryce Young and the entire Panthers’ offense.