Rico Dowdle’s toe injury has left the Pittsburgh Steelers thin at running back, and the next move feels pretty clear: give Lew Nichols a real chance.
Dowdle is expected to miss time, or at best be limited, which knocks the Steelers’ current two-back setup out of balance. That leaves Jaylen Warren needing a partner who can handle some of the load and give him breathers when needed.
Travis Homer got a look last week after being called up from the practice squad, but that felt more like a stopgap than a true answer. His value has long been tied to special teams. Eli Heidenreich is also in the mix, though his chances have been limited.
Nichols, though, brings something different.
The former seventh-round pick from Central Michigan is a compact runner who gets downhill fast and doesn’t go down easily. His game fits the kind of role Pittsburgh now needs, especially with Warren set to lead the backfield. Nichols has a similar style to Warren, which makes him an easy fit if the Steelers want a back who can step in without changing the feel of the offense too much.
His college résumé still stands out. Nichols led the FBS in 2021 with nearly 1,850 rushing yards, but injuries during his final season and mediocre testing pushed him down the board to the Packers in the seventh round. Since then, he’s had brief stops in Green Bay and Philadelphia before landing in Pittsburgh, where he’s quietly become a preseason standout.
Over the last two years, Nichols has run for 174 yards at 5.6 yards per carry and added 72 receiving yards. Preseason production only goes so far, of course, but among the options the Steelers have right now, he looks like the best pure runner.
He can help on special teams too. He’s not as central to that phase as Homer, but he did work extensively with those units in camp.
Dowdle brings the kind of tough, straightforward running the Steelers would want to replace, and Nichols may be the closest thing on hand. With an opening now available, this could be his chance to show he belongs on the active roster.
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