Positive Progress Report For Achane Highlights RB Possibilities For 2027 And Beyond

Mid-November has been a difficult period for the Miami Dolphins in terms of injury news, with Malik Willis and Zach Sieler both placed on IR this week and Sieler out for the season. At the very least, though, there's some positivity for 2027 with the expected return of one of the biggest stars Miami has to offer.

Jeff Hafley spoke to the media Wednesday about running back De'Von Achane, including how he's progressing since suffering a torn ACL against Kansas City back on September 27. Achane hasn't played a snap of football since, but has made as much of an impact as he can on the team around him.

The loss of Achane has been as impactful as one might assume, but it has allowed the backup, Ollie Gordon II, to showcase his skill set week in and week out. When Achane is back, there are lots of positives that would point to him and Gordon being one of the nastiest running back duos in football.

2027 Can't Come Soon Enough

"He had his surgery," Hafley said. "He's in the training room every morning. He sat in the team meeting last Monday. He was sitting in the front, which was cool to have him there. He's been around the players. He's in our weight room. I'm sure he wishes that he were out there, but his attitude's been great. I've seen him doing his rehab, and he's working really hard to get better. He's doing well."

The news from Hafley is positive, including what Achane's been doing in the meantime. Well before the season, Hafley noted he wanted an expanded leadership role for the 25-year-old, specifically being a vocal leader to a hodgepodge of rookies on both offense and defense. It seems that Achane is still making that a point despite what he's going through.

Finding anything positive about Achane's injury is moot, but at least it occurred as early as it did in the season. There isn't a monetary concern thanks to the four-year contract extension he signed back on May 13. Barring any major setbacks during his rehab, he'll likely have the opportunity to be back playing football ahead of the 2027 preseason.

Rehab is different, time-wise, for every player, but a best-case scenario would likely be similar to what Chris Bell went through when he tore his ACL with Louisville back in late November 2025. He had surgery in December, then returned to the field after nine and a half months. For Achane, that would place his possible return as early as June-July 2027.

Batman And Robin In The Backfield

Another player who will more than likely be returning in 2027 is Gordon, who is currently in the second year of his four-year rookie contract. Barring any offseason moves from the front office, Achane and Gordon will be the duo at running back for the Dolphins next season.

It hasn't always been smooth sailing for Gordon this season, but considering the sudden increase in demand, it's been mainly positive. He currently stands at 463 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. If he wants to reach 1K rushing yards, he'll need to average around 60 yards for the final nine games of the season, starting at Indianapolis on November 15.

Gordon has flashed the speed and agility fans picked up on in 2025. Even against top-notch defenses like Detroit, he still found ways to occasionally shake the first wave of would-be tacklers for solid pickups. The problem is that this is very dependent on the gaps that Miami's offensive line creates, and against the Lions, that was rare. Hence, a disappointing 55 yards on 16 carries.

A major strength of Gordon, though, is his durability. He's been recording high snap counts, partially due to the lack of a dependable backup right now — Jaylen Wright was struggling to provide quality snaps even before the quad injury that sidelined him Sunday. With Willis on IR, Gordon's already high snap count might go up even more to ease some pressure off quarterback Kyle McCord.

One of the biggest differences between Achane and Gordon is physicality in the trenches. Achane is powerful enough to bully past the defensive line even with a lack of sizeable gaps, whereas Gordon falls short on occasion. Being six inches shorter (5-9 to 6-2) and 30 pounds lighter (195 to 225), Achane can be harder to bring down both on the initial tackle and at max speed.

Achane will be the starter who dominates the snap count, with Gordon coming in to give the workhorse an occasional rest. The plan is that opposing defenses won't have time to breathe and adjust when Achane steps off the field over the course of the game, let alone on a single offensive drive.

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