De’Von Achane isn’t easing into the season with modest expectations. The Miami Dolphins running back is already talking about the rushing title as the team gets ready to open its 2026 NFL regular season on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.
That kind of ambition fits the way Achane sees the game. Miami’s 2023 third-round pick said goals are part of the process, and then some.
“I feel like you don’t got goals, I feel like what are you playing the game for? And you know, I kind of add more goals as we go through the season, but we always start with some.”
When asked to name one of his own, Achane didn’t hide from the big one.
“I always try to go for the rushing title so that’s just something I do,“ he stated.
Coming off his first career Pro Bowl selection, Achane is expected to sit at the center of Miami’s offense. Head coach Jeff Hafley even joked earlier this summer about giving him 45 touches per game, though Achane clearly isn’t spending much time trying to forecast a workload that could swing from drive to drive.
Asked how many touches he expects against Las Vegas, he kept it simple: “I have no idea,” he replied. “I feel like, don’t nobody really know how many times you’re going to touch the ball. I feel like it’s just kind of a however the game is going type thing.”
That unpredictability could work in Miami’s favor if defenses load up to slow him down. Achane knows what that looks like, and he knows the counterpunch is in the air.
“It just gives opportunities for our young receivers, or whoever’s out there, to make plays. Like you said, this is a team game.
I can’t just go out there and win by myself. So when teams do stack the box, we can still try to run the ball, but if we have to adjust, it just gives opportunities for receivers to make plays.”
He added, “It takes all of us. Just like they need me to run, I need them in the pass game. It goes both ways.”
There’s also a new look on the sideline this year. Miami moved on from Mike McDaniel after the season and hired former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as the 12th full-time head coach in franchise history. Bobby Slowik, who had worked as the passing game coordinator under McDaniel, was promoted to offensive coordinator, giving the Dolphins some continuity while still changing the feel of the offense.
Achane said that blend is already showing up.
“Of course it’s new…because it’s a new coach. So it’s kind of still the same, you add new stuff, but Slo was here last year with Mike, so some stuff is the same, some things are different. But at the same time, I feel like Slo uses me in the pass game, run game, so it’s good for me.”
For all the talk about awards and goals, Achane also sounded eager for the simple part: getting back on the field and playing a full game again.
“I mean, it feels good, man. Like you said, it’s been a long time since we actually played four quarters, and I’ll been excited to be out there and just to go out there, just watch our team, to see how we come and basically just see how we hold up against somebody else for a full game.”
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