The Miami Dolphins have signed running back De’Von Achane to a 4 year, $64M contract extension the club announced late Wednesday night.
The new deal will feature an average annual value of $16M per season, and includes $32M in guaranteed money. If all incentives are hit, the total value of the contract could reach as high as $68M. That figure makes Achane the 3rd highest paid running back in the NFL trailing only Saquon Barkley, and Christian McCaffrey.
The 5’9″ back set career highs in virtually every offensive category in 2025 including rushing attempts (238), rushing yards (1,350), rushing TDs (8), and scrimmage yards (1,838). His 5.7 yards per rush led the NFL and helped earn Achane the first Pro Bowl selection of his career.
The 24 year old became the team’s top priority after he chose not to report for the start of the Dolphins voluntary offseason program on April 7th. New general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan had been adamant all offseason that he wasn’t interested in trading the team’s leading rusher, despite having previously moved on from high profile players such as Minkah Fitzpatrick, Jaylen Waddle, and Tua Tagovailoa.
Because of the previous regimes moves, including the contract handed out to Tua, Miami wasn’t in a position to be overly active on the free agent market due to its dead money cap hits. However, retaining one of the few remaining offensive pieces for the new era in South Beach was a priority for a team that figures to be at the bottom of the AFC East in 2026.
Over his first three years, Achane is averaging 1,019 rushing yards, 7.3 rushing scores, 55.6 receptions and 4.3 TD catches per season. The 4th year pro will be the focal point of Miami’s offence this fall, as they’ll be working with a relatively unproven pass catching group comprised of serviceable role players and rookies.
The Fins brought in WRs Jalen Tolbert, Terrace Marshall Jr., and Tutu Atwell in the offseason. They’ll be joined by rookies Chris Bell, Caleb Douglas, and Kevin Coleman Jr. in a relatively thin wide receiver room. 3rd year player Malik Washington remains from the previous regime, though his career high of 317 receiving yards to date leaves Miami’s “WR1” role wide open.
The team’s offensive line will remain intact from 2025 for the most part. Rookie guard Kadyn Proctor figures to help open up holes in the run game for Achane, and new quarterback Malik Willis figures to lean heavily on the speedy back in Bobby Slowik’s offensive system.
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