The Miami Dolphins decided to get rid of many players this offseason including quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, wide receiver Tyreek Hill, and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. There were questions about whether or not Miami was also going to get rid of running back De’Von Achane. He is entering the final year of his contract.
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Dec 28, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane (28) warms up before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The Dolphins were getting calls from other NFL teams about him and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has claimed that they are not planning to trade him. Will see if Miami can get him to sign a long-term contract or not. Achane is only 24 years old. He rushed for 1,350 yards on 238 carries and eight touchdowns, along with averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Achane also caught 67 passes for 488 yards receiving and four touchdowns, along with averaging 7.3 yards per reception. He is one of the most underrated running backs in the NFL and there is a reason other NFL teams were interested in trading for him.
NFL Insider Wonders Why the Miami Dolphins Didn’t Trade RB De’Von Achane In the Offseason
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Dec 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane (28) runs with the ball while defended by Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Brandin Echols (26) in the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Dan Graziano of ESPN.com wrote about some lingering questions as the 2026 NFL season approaches. He wonders why the Dolphins trade Achane. Graziano said,
“Miami is clearly in rebuild mode, having pared its roster of big salaries, taken on $99 million in dead money bycutting quarterbackTua Tagovailoa andtraded top wide receiverJaylen Waddle to the Broncos before the draft. Achane has one year left on his rookie contract at $5.767 million, and to this point the Dolphins have not extended him. Achane has averaged 1,445 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns per season in his first three years in the league. He also doesn’t turn 25 until October.
In a market whereKenneth Walker IIIgot over $14 million per year andBreece Hallgot over $15 million per year, one would think Achane at less than $6 million would be an appealing trade target for teams … and that a team looking to amass draft picks would listen.
Talking to Dolphins staffers throughout this offseason, what I’ve been told is that the team views Achane, centerAaron Brewerand linebackerJordyn Brooks, as foundational players and candidates for extensionsrather than trades. Miami is focused on the future, for sure, but new coach Jeff Hafley and new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan aren’t interested in just white-flagging their first season by stripping thingsall the waydown to the studs. Also, they need some players to build around, and they have identified Achane as one worth keeping long term.
Now, I was told at the combine that the Dolphins viewed Waddle as a part of their future as well, so the fact that he got traded might lead you to take this with a grain of salt. All I’ll say on that is if a team offered a first-round pick for Achane, as the Broncos did for Waddle, the Dolphins’ opinion of the standout running back as part of their future might have wavered a bit. But teams aren’t offering first-round picks for running backs that they’d then need to pay big money to keep. The smart bet is on the Dolphins extending Achane’s contract at some point this offseason.”
Miami is no doubt going to be a very bad NFL team this season. The Dolphins are going to be tanking for one of the star quarterbacks in the 2027 NFL Draft despite signing quarterback Malik Willis to a three-year deal in the offseason. Assuming Miami is not a good team by the trade deadline, there is a very good chance that NFL teams will be calling them again about Achane’s availability.
Achane could very well be a part of this franchise’s long-term plans just like Breece Hall with the New York Jets. This will be one of the stories to keep an eye on as the 2026 NFL season approaches, however.
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