“We’ll bring our seat belts”: Brian Schottenheimer fires back at ex-Cowboy Rico Dowdle’s bold warning ahead of Week 6 game vs. Panthers

Rico Dowdle was one of the biggest surprises in Week 5. The Carolina Panthers quarterback had a masterful performance against the Miami Dolphins. He finished the game with 23 carries, 206 yards, 28 receiving yards and a touchdown as the Panthers came back to win 27-24.

Dowdle joined the team as a free agent after the Dallas Cowboys decided against signing him to an extension. With a stellar performance one week before playing his old team, he was quick to trash talk the Cowboys before their Week 6 matchup.

But his former team hit back. Schottenheimer, the Cowboys coach, did not hide from the comments made by his former running back. He noticed Dowdle's excellent performance against the Dolphins, but challenged him to repeat the feat in Week 6:

“It’ll be good to see Rico this weekend. I know we’re going to have to buckle up, he said. So we’ll bring our seat belts, Rico. Buckle up.”

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Rico Dowdle calls for Cowboys to "buckle up" before facing his former team in Week 6

After five years in Dallas, it's clear that Dowdle believes this could be a revenge game. Fresh off a stellar performance, he spoke to reporters and was already thinking about his next game:

“They got to buckle up. I think they know, for sure. I had been there for five years. They didn’t keep me there for five years for no reason. Looking forward to playing those guys this week. We’ll get to it and handle that when we get there.”

He had his best season in 2024, when he finished with 1,079 yards and an excellent average of 4.6 yards per carry. However, that wasn't enough for the new coaching staff to offer him a new contract, and he entered free agency as a result.

The market wasn't a big fan. He signed a one-year, $2,75 million deal with the Carolina Panthers with hopes of landing a bigger contract in the next offseason. He already has 289 yards and 2 touchdowns in just five games. Another stellar game against his former team will only improve his chances.

Edited by Henrique Bulio