Dolphins RB De’Von Achane Absent For Start Of Voluntary Workouts

The Dolphins are in the early stages of a major rebuild, but new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has identified running back De’Von Achane as a long-term building block. The Dolphins aim to extend Achane, but with no deal in place, he was not present for the first day of voluntary workouts on Tuesday. Achane’s absence was related to his desire for a new contract, C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald reports.

As a 2023 third-round pick, Achane’s production has vastly outweighed his salary during his three-year career. Based on that, he has an obvious case for a significant raise this offseason. The Texas A&M product thrived under former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as both a runner and pass catcher. He has averaged a whopping 5.6 yards per carry on 544 attempts, caught 172 passes and racked up 35 touchdowns (22 rushing, 13 receiving) 44 games into his NFL career.

While little went right for Miami during a seven-win 2025 campaign, McDaniel’s last at the helm, Achane was a rare bright spot. The 24-year-old surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the first time, going for 1,350 on 238 carries (5.7 YPC), added a team-high 67 receptions for another 488 yards (7.3 average), and totaled 12 TDs (eight on the ground, four receiving). Achane, who ranked sixth in all-purpose yards (1,838) and 12th in scores, earned his first Pro Bowl nod.

Achane is currently due to earn $5.77M in 2026, but if a deal comes together, Smalls points to the extension the Bills’ James Cook signed last summer as a potential comp. Then heading into his fourth season, Cook inked a four-year, $48MM pact. He now ranks third at his position in total value and in guarantees ($28.82MM), though his average salary checks in lower (10th). As Smalls notes, Cook is likely to drop down the list if backs like the Falcons’ Bijan Robinson, the Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs, the Jets’ Breece Hall and the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor land new deals in the coming months.

With the price for running backs rising, it would behoove the Dolphins to lock up Achane sooner than later. For now, rookie Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley seems unconcerned. Hafley expressed confidence on Tuesday that the two sides will “work it out.”