Of the moves the Pittsburgh Steelers made as the NFL's legal tampering period opened up, none of them included a decision by quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
However, some of them would potentially impact the veteran quarterback if he does come back to the team. A little while after the Steelers announced a trade for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., another notable offensive move was made.
The Steelers have officially agreed to terms with free agent running back Rico Dowdle after his lone season with the Carolina Panthers.
Rico Dowdle was not the Mike McCarthy running back Pittsburgh Steelers fans saw coming
Let's first get this out of the way: fans fully expected this team to keep Kenneth Gainwell (or maybe that was wishful thinking, in action).
Gainwell proved to be one of Rodgers' favorites, last year, and it seemed like a no-brainer to bring him back. But, after Gainwell signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it was time to pivot.
Steelers fans also figured McCarthy might reunite with another one of his former running backs in Aaron Jones. Having been recently released by the Minnesota Vikings and of course playing for McCarthy back in his Green Bay Packers days, Jones would've made some sense.
That felt like the likely move.
But, the Steelers zigged when everyone thought they'd zag and, alas, Dowdle became their guy.
Upon further review, Dowdle does make some sense for the Steelers. Once it became clear they needed to find another back after Gainwell left, it was only sensible for the Steelers to pursue a player who can be a bit more physical in nature.
Jaylen Warren can be physical, at times, but he's largely viewed as the agility guy who can catch passes. With Gainwell emerging as another legitimate pass-catching option last season, maybe Pittsburgh wanted to go out and find someone who better fit the role of an early down back.
That's what they're getting in Dowdle, who happens to be coming off of his second-straight 1,000-yard season.
The first of those two came in his final year with Dallas, which also happened to be McCarthy's final year with the Cowboys as well. After four years with the Cowboys and not having much to show for it, McCarthy finally let Dowdle loose, and he ran for 1,079 yards in the silver and blue.
Fans are now hoping Dowdle can do something similar in the silver and black.