Pittsburgh Steelers sign Rico Dowdle

Rico Dowdle's two-year, $12.25M signing with Pittsburgh earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI), reflecting a pragmatic but uninspiring backfield addition at fair market value with modest upside. The former Dallas reserve enters on a deal averaging $6.125M annually — well within the mid-tier running back range — and brings limited NFL pedigree to a Steelers roster currently positioned as the AFC North's fourth seed heading into the regular season. At his production tier, Dowdle profiles as a depth-piece option who may compete for touches rather than a focal-point back, making the salary structure reasonable but not particularly creative; the two-year window suggests Pittsburgh is treating this as a low-risk, rotational investment rather than a long-term backfield solution. The CVI remains steady at C because the deal neither exploits market inefficiency nor overpays, landing squarely on the "accurate but forgettable" side of contract construction — you get what you pay for, nothing more. In the context of an offseason move where narrative centered on reuniting with prior coaching and competing for opportunity, the Steelers have structured the deal to minimize downside while preserving flexibility, which is sound organizational discipline even if it lacks transformative appeal. This signing won't swing the evaluation of Pittsburgh's cap health or roster construction, but it represents the kind of efficient, middle-ground transaction that doesn't drag down a front office's grade while keeping the door open for contributor-level production.