De'Von Achane Trade Rumors Bears Trade Bears News Dolphins
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Dolphins star running back De'Von Achane.
Speculation about whether the Chicago Bears could trade for Miami Dolphins star running back De’Von Achane has begun to resurge following the latest update on his attendance for the start of the Dolphins’ offseason program.
On Tuesday, April 7, Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley announced that Achane was not in attendance for the start of the team’s voluntary offseason workout program as the 24-year-old continues to seek a new contract from Miami’s turned-over front office.
Achane had more than 1,800 yards from scrimmage (1,350 on the ground) and made his first career Pro Bowl during his third season with the Dolphins in 2025. The 2023 third-round pick also scored double-digit touchdowns (12) for the third straight season.
The Dolphins have already parted ways with several of their biggest stars this offseason amid new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan’s roster reconstruction, though, including starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receivers Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill.
Miami’s ambitious teardown has also created speculation that Achane — whose rookie contract will expire next March — could also be on the move before the 2026 season, much to the delight of fans who would love to see the Bears call about a possible trade.
The longer Achane remains absent, the louder the trade rumors are bound to grow, too.
De’Von Achane Would Add Superstar to Bears Offense
The Bears have a quality one-two punch in the run game with veteran D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai set to return in 2026 after pacing the NFL’s third-best rushing offense (144.5 yards per game) last season, but an Achane trade could level them up.
Swift rushed for 1,087 yards and nine touchdowns — both career highs — for the Bears in 2025 during his first season in Chicago with Ben Johnson calling the shots, but it is unclear if the Bears intend to re-sign him when his contract expires after next season.
Instead, the Bears could use Swift to make an aggressive play for Achane, who would also require a new contract but is a more dynamic playmaker on the field. Achane has more scrimmage yards in two of his three seasons than Swift has in any of his six. He is also just 12 career touchdowns behind him in half as many seasons in the league.
With Achane in the fold, the Bears would still leave runway for Monangai to contribute meaningful snaps as a bruising power back for their offense. Johnson could even cook up packages in which both backs are on the field, given Achane’s pass-catching ability.
It is worth noting that the Bears replaced Eric Bienemy — who left for the OC job with the Kansas City Chiefs — with former Dolphins running backs coach Eric Studesville, who worked in the same role with Achane during each of his first three years in Miami.
As good as Achane is, though, the price tag might not fit what the Bears can manage.
Can Bears Afford Trade & Contract Costs for Achane?
A trade for Achane would raise the prestige of the Bears’ backfield and give the team another superstar talent on offense to work alongside quarterback Caleb Williams and its other rising stars, such as Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland.
Between the cost of trading for Achane and signing him to a long-term deal, though, it might not fit what the Bears have planned for the remainder of their 2026 offseason.
According to Over the Cap, the Bears have just $243,078 cap space remaining in 2026, putting them in a tight situation where more cuts or restructures would be necessary to add a significant cap number to their books. But if the Bears traded Swift to Miami as part of the exchange, they would clear roughly $7.47 million and solve the problem.
Financially speaking, the bigger hurdle for the Bears would be agreeing to terms on a new contract with Achane, which they would likely want finalized before completing a trade to acquire him. Spotrac projects that Achane will make north of $12 million per season on his next deal, but the Bears could meet that price and still wind up with a smaller cap number than they currently have with Swift — if structured favorably.
What the Dolphins would want for Achane is also potentially problematic. The Bears are highly unlikely to consider trading their first-round pick (No. 25 overall) away for a running back, but they have multiple second-round selections in 2026 that they could package with Swift that might persuade the Dolphins to part ways with their top back.
Achane has the potential to be worth more than that, but Miami might take a proven veteran back and a Day 2 draft pick if the front office has other plans for the future.