The Miami Dolphins brought in Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley this offseason as their new general manager and head coach, respectively, and one of their biggest goals so far was to lock down De’Von Achane on a long-term deal.
Miami’s new regime officially accomplished that goal last week, giving Achane a massive four-year extension, making him the third-highest-paid running back in the league with an average annual salary of $16 million (only behind Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey).
Now that Achane is set in South Florida fore the foreseeable future, he understands that he must adapt to a new role with a lot of the team’s respective veterans departing over the last few months.
“I gotta start being more vocal. You know what I’m saying? I’ve gotta start saying stuff and being a teammate for real,” Achane told his former teammate Terron Armstead on “The Set” podcast. “I try to do that now and get started early so when we get in the season [everyone’s used to it]…
“I’m kind of getting used to it. I’m just getting more comfortable. If we’re in the locker room, like talking to y’all, conversations with y’all. I just look at it like that. These are my teammates. I can open up. I can be more comfortable with them. Just say what’s on my mind and just go from there.”
Apparently that’s a message that’s been passed down from the coach to the running back.
“Me and Haf had this same conversation the other day in our one-on-one meeting,” Achane said. “He was like, ‘I know you’re not the vocal type of guy, but sometimes I might need you to speak up and say something.’ I’m cool with that. It’s about me just getting more comfortable and me being more vocal, and that just goes with interviews and all types of [stuff].”
Without Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Jaylen Waddle and others to step up, Miami needs some of their paid veterans, like Achane to fill those roles.
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This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins star making much-needed change for 2026 season after pay day
Reporting by Mike Masala, Dolphins Wire / Dolphins Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
