Why Timing Was Right for Achane Extension

The Miami Dolphins took care of their business Wednesday night, and they did it in timely fashion.

Five days after watching the New York Jets sign their standout running back to a contract extension, the Dolphins did the same with 2025 team MVP De'Von Achane.

The sides agreed to a four-year extension worth $64 million and bonuses that could push the total to $68 million, according to ESPN Dolphins reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques and confirmed by a league source. The deal also reportedly included $32 million in guarantees.

In terms of annual average and guarantees, Achane's deal came in slightly higher than the Jets gave Hall, which made sense on two levels — Achane signed later, and he's also probably a slightly better player, though that can be debated.

The Dolphins also deserve props getting this done before other star running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson got their anticipated extensions from the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons, respectively, because they figure to also top Hall's numbers and perhaps by a bigger margin.

The new deal will put Achane third among running backs in annual average (based solely on the extension) behind only Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey and fourth in guaranteed money behind Arizona Cardinals rookie Jeremiyah Love, Barkley and Las Vegas Raiders 2025 first-round pick Ashton Jeanty.

ACHANE ALWAYS A PRIORITY

Taking care of Achane always made sense for Miami considering he's not only the team's best player, he's not even 25 years old yet.

While running backs indeed have a shorter shelf life than players at just about every other position, it's not like Achane is on his last legs.

And while building draft capital and clearing cap space made sense when the Dolphins were moving on from big-name players in the offseason, Achane didn't fit in that category because he should play a key role in getting the Dolphins where they want to go under new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and new head coach Jeff Hafley.

This always seemed like the logical conclusion for the Dolphins, though Sullivan left the door open to the possibility Achane could be traded when he made and repeated the comment that he always would listen if another GM called with a good offer.

This was far different from actively shopping Achane, which is something Sullivan never said he was going, to the point where he said at draft time the running back was not available. It also was the smart move because every GM should listen to any offer for any player (or just about) because who's to say that a team won't end up blowing you away with an offer too good to refuse (see Tunsil, Laremy).

The bottom line is Achane was a foundational piece for the Dolphins — a "pillar" as Sullivan described him, Aaron Brewer and Jordyn Brooks.

The Dolphins always were going to be a better team with him than without him, and that applies not only for 2026 but next year and the one after that as well — barring injury, of course.

Brewer and Brooks extensions could or should be next on the agenda for Sullivan, but he was clear all along that taking care of Achane was the priority.

And now he got it done.

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