Steelers Get Rico Dowdle Back Just in Time to Face a Reeling Bucs Team

Rico Dowdle is officially back in the mix for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After missing a month of action, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports the running back is expected to suit up Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A toe injury sounds like something you complain about after kicking a coffee table in the dark, but in the NFL, it is the difference between cutting upfield and looking like you are running in wet cement. Dowdle has been sidelined since Week 2, leaving fantasy managers and prop bettors guessing on the Pittsburgh backfield rotation for weeks.

"Jeremy Fowler reported that Dowdle is expected to play Sunday vs. Bucs."

Before the injury, Dowdle barely had time to break a sweat in 2026. He logged just five carries for 18 yards in his lone appearance this season. Now he returns to a Steelers offense that just hung 34 points on the Indianapolis Colts and is looking to keep rolling.

The timing could not be better for Pittsburgh. They are heading to Tampa Bay to face a 1-4 Buccaneers team that is currently operating without Baker Mayfield, who is out with a thumb injury. This is the kind of matchup where a returning running back can ease back into the flow of the game while the defense does the heavy lifting.

For anyone looking at the betting markets, Dowdle's return muddies the waters. You never know if a guy coming off a month-long lower-body injury is going to get ten touches or just stand on the sideline holding his helmet. The smart move is usually to wait and see how the workload splits before trusting him with your money.

The Steelers also have to navigate a late injury addition, with tight end Pat Freiermuth popping up on Saturday's report with a calf issue. If Freiermuth is limited or sits, Pittsburgh might lean even heavier on the ground game to control the clock against a reeling Tampa Bay squad.

We will see exactly how much burst Dowdle has left in that toe when the ball kicks off at 1:00 PM. If he looks healthy, the Steelers just got a valuable piece back for the middle of the season. If not, at least he gets a front-row seat to watch T.J. Watt chase around a backup quarterback.