The Miami Dolphins have a big hole to patch after De’Von Achane went down with a torn ACL on Sunday. Their top rusher and a 2025 Pro Bowl selection is done for the year, and that puts the spotlight squarely on a backfield that suddenly looks thin.
Right now, Miami has Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II on the 53-man roster, with Jarquez Hunter and Carlos Washington, Jr. on the practice squad. The team can ride with that group, but there’s also a clear path to bringing in a veteran on a minimum deal to add depth and keep the running game stocked. That matters in this offense, because the ground attack is at the center of what the Dolphins want to do.
So who could make sense?
Kareem Hunt is one option. The former Chiefs back was a Pro Bowl pick as a rookie in 2017 after leading the league in rushing yards.
Last season, he logged 163 carries for 611 yards and eight touchdowns. He wouldn’t be a one-for-one replacement for Achane, but he could give Miami another physical piece to pair with Gordon while Wright brings the speed.
At this stage, he’s not built to carry the full load, but he could handle around 10 carries a game and give the Dolphins a steady veteran presence.
Raheem Mostert is another name that jumps out. Miami knows him well, and he spent extended stretches with the San Francisco 49ers from 2016-2021 and with the Dolphins from 2022-2024.
He made the Pro Bowl in 2023 after leading the league in rushing touchdowns for Miami. Last year with the Las Vegas Raiders, though, he had just 22 carries in 12 games.
He wouldn’t be the lead back, but he could fit as a rotation player when Wright and Gordon need a breather.
Joe Mixon also enters the conversation if he clears the medical concerns that wiped out his entire 2025 season. If his foot is healthy - and that’s still the question - he brings a résumé that includes 1,016 yards in 2024 with the Houston Texans.
Mixon could handle a heavy workload if needed, though he still wouldn’t be a direct stand-in for Achane. Miami could view him as the second option and let Wright remain the lead back.
Nick Chubb is in the mix too. He just re-signed with the Cleveland Browns so he could ceremonially retire as a member of the team, but the Dolphins could still pursue him for the rest of the year.
Wright would likely stay at the top of the depth chart, while Chubb could give Miami a more physical rotation option. Once fully settled in, he might even move ahead of Gordon.
The issue is health: Chubb’s knee injury in 2023 kept him from returning to full form in 2024 or 2025, and over the last two seasons he has only 224 carries for 838 yards.
Cam Akers is the younger name on the list at 27, and that still leaves room for some upside. A former second-round pick in 2020, he has already been through five different teams in seven different stretches.
His best run came with the Los Angeles Rams from 2020 through 2023, when he showed a nice blend of speed and power. But in 2025, he appeared in only three games for Seattle and had no carries.
If Miami went that route, Akers would be a rotational piece who helps Wright stay fresh.
The Dolphins don’t need a splashy answer here. They need another back who can hold up the room, keep the rotation moving, and help them survive the loss of Achane.
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Dolphins Fans Have Another Reason To Be Furious With Chiefs Officiating
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For Dolphins supporters, the frustration was immediate because the contact looked obvious enough to invite a penalty and the silence from the officials only deepened the suspicion. Plays like that tend to linger long after the game ends, especially when they feed the larger belief around the league that Kansas City gets the benefit of the doubt more often than most teams. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Suddenly Have A Good Problem Up Front
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Grants return would give the Dolphins another option up front, but it also raises a real personnel question for a defense that has found a workable rhythm without him. His rookie season was uneven, and the bigger issue now is figuring out where he fits if the current group keeps holding its own once he is cleared to rejoin the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Fans Had Every Reason To Hate This Chiefs Break
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It was the sort of break that left Dolphins fans grinding their teeth, especially in a game Kansas City controlled from there. The Chiefs won 24-10, with Mahomes completing 20 of 24 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns, and Miami was left to wonder how different things might have felt without one costly flag in a key spot. [Read more 🡒]