Despite roster teardown, Dolphins are reportedly telling teams RB De'Von Achane is not available

Achane is the one star Miami wants to keep in South Beach

If you're an NFL team watching the Miami Dolphins strip their roster down to the studs this offseason and think you may be able to pry star running back De'Von Achane out of Hard Rock Stadium, you have another thing coming. Despite the teardown that included Miami trading away wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos on Tuesday, teams that have called the Dolphins to inquire about trading for Achane have been told he is not available, according to ESPN.

Of course, it's understandable that teams would think that Achane could be on the block, considering the moves that Miami has made this offseason. Along with the Waddle trade, the Dolphins also parted ways with key pillars like quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, receiver Tyreek Hill, and pass rusher Bradley Chubb. However, new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan clearly views Achane as a building block for the future and appears primed to be the centerpiece of the offense alongside quarterback Malik Willis, who signed a three-year, $67.5 million deal earlier in free agency. 

It's not difficult to see why Sullivan and first-year head coach Jeff Hafley would want to keep a player like Achane in-house. When healthy, the 24-year-old has been one of the most explosive skill-position players in the entire NFL. After being a third-round pick of the Dolphins in 2023, Achane has averaged 6.1 yards per touch. 

Last season, Achane's 5.7 yards-per-carry average led the league, and the back enjoyed career marks across the board. His 1,350 yards rushing and 1,838 yards from scrimmage were career highs. Achane also tied his career high in total touchdowns (12).  Those efforts earned him his first-ever Pro Bowl nomination. 

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Will the Dolphins extend De'Von Achane this offseason?

So, with a trade seemingly out of the question, the next chapter for Achane and the Dolphins is a possible extension. After playing in his third season, the back is extension-eligible this offseason as he enters the final year of his rookie contract. In 2026, Achane is currently slated to earn $5.76 million in base salary and has a cap hit of roughly $6 million, which accounts for 2% of Miami's salary cap. At the moment, he's set to be an unrestricted free agent next offseason, but it seems extremely unlikely that he ever reaches the open market. 

In fact, given that the team has been reluctant to trade him this offseason, it wouldn't be surprising to see Miami ink him to an extension before Week 1 of the 2026 regular season rolls around. 

Spotrac projects Achane's market value to be a three-year, $36.7 million extension, which would give him an average annual salary of $12.3 million. If he were to agree to such a contract, that AAV would put him just above Alvin Kamara (Saints) as the seventh-highest-paid running back in the NFL. Achane's AAV would also exceed the likes of Josh Jacobs (Packers), Travis Etienne (Saints) and James Cook (Bills). 

That said, after seeing seeing the running back market pop a bit this offseason with Kenneth Walker III signing a three-year, $45 million contract with the Chiefs ($14.35 million in AAV) and the Jets tagging Breece Hall ($14.29 million for 2026), it's possible (if not likely) Achane pushes for north of that $12.3 million projection. 

At the moment, Over the Cap has the Dolphins 32nd in the NFL in available cap space, as they are $8.2 million over the threshold, so they may need to get their books in order before hammering out a long-term deal with Achane.