“I’m not trying to hear ‘we rebuilding for two years,’” the running back said on The Set podcast with Terron Armstead. “I ain’t trying to do it. Most definitely, I want to win the division, we gotta win the playoff game. I ain’t even going to say we’re going be trying to win the championship, but we just got to get those things first.”

Achane recently made headlines in Miami after signing a four-year contract extension. During that span, he will look to bring this team back into the NFL elite and, why not, make another run at the Super Bowl.

Dolphins want to return to the top of the NFL

The Miami Dolphins haven’t tasted Super Bowl glory in a really long time, with their last championship coming all the way back on January 13, 1974, when they beat the Minnesota Vikings 24-7 in Super Bowl VIII. Since those legendary 1970s teams, the postseason has brought mostly heartbreak for Dolphins fans.

Their most recent playoff appearance ended in a rough defeat during the 2023 AFC Wild Card round, where they had to play in freezing weather at Arrowhead Stadium and dropped a 26-7 decision to the Kansas City Chiefs on January 13, 2024.

Achane will be the main weapon for Miami

As the Miami Dolphins transition into a completely new era, De’Von Achane is locked in to be the absolute focal point of the offense, serving as the ultimate security blanket on the ground for Malik Willis. With the passing game undergoing a massive identity shift under Willis—who will rely heavily on Tutu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert as his primary weapons on the outside—Achane’s role becomes even more crucial.

While the defense focuses on containing those deep threats downfield, Achane’s elite vision and explosive rushing ability will carry the load, wearing down defensive fronts and setting the tempo to completely ease the pressure off his new quarterback’s shoulders.

That said, much is expected from what the new quarterback can deliver for this team. However, coach Hafley made his primary plans for Willis clear to the press.

“My main focus for him right now is to learn the scheme, get to know the players and not overdo the whole leadership thing,” the head coach said recently, via Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN. “I mean, I think that’s my job and [the coaches’] job right now, so he can focus on becoming the best quarterback and the best player and the best teammate he can be.”

Willis knows what he has to offer, though he also laments not having all of his weapons at his disposal, such as Jaylen Waddle, who left for the Denver Broncos. The former Packers standout envisions a symbiotic relationship with his coach to achieve great results.

“It’s about building trust,” Willis said. “I mean, every play we go out there, whether it’s calling the play, whether it’s executing the play, whether it’s making sure somebody else can get lined up, you build that over time. I don’t think you just put somebody in a position to say, ‘OK, you’re the leader now.’ You got to earn that.”

Hafley and Willis bring prior Green Bay connection to new team

The existing chemistry between Jeff Hafley and Malik Willis from their time together in Green Bay could be a massive shortcut for South Florida’s success. Having already shared a locker room with the Packers, the head coach and quarterback enter this new chapter with a built-in mutual trust and a shared football vocabulary.

This established connection is expected to streamline the offensive installation, allowing Willis to command the system with confidence from day one while helping Hafley quickly instill his culture across the entire roster.

Early challenges await Miami

Miami faces a brutal gauntlet to open the regular season, kicking off with three consecutive matchups against powerhouse opponents. The Dolphins hit the road for back-to-back high-stakes away games, traveling to face the Raiders on September 13th before flying out to the West Coast for a grueling clash against the 49ers on September 20th.

The team finally returns home on September 27th, but there will be no breathing room as they host the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in a high-profile showdown that will serve as an early litmus test for their postseason aspirations.

“It was unfortunate, for sure, to say the least,” Willis said recently from Dolphins Organized Team Activities. “That’s a really good player and I would have loved to play with him, but that’s above my pay grade, brother. Out of my hands.”

The trade that sent Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos was a long-term bet for the Miami Dolphins, who received three draft picks in return. They held the 30th overall pick (later moved in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers, shifting up to pick 27), where they selected Chris Johnson. At pick 94 they chose wide receiver Chris Bell, and with pick 130 they added Texas edge rusher Trey Moore.

Dolphins’ 2026 aerial attack

In the midst of a full rebuild and with a clear long-term vision, Miami has decided to surround Malik Willis with young talent and recent offseason additions such as Jalen Tolbert from the Dallas Cowboys and Tutu Atwell from the Los Angeles Rams.

The void left by Jaylen Waddle

During his five seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Jaylen Waddle was an absolute dynamic force, racking up 373 receptions for 5,039 yards and 26 receiving touchdowns across 78 games, highlighted by a spectacular 1,356-yard campaign in 2022. Replacing that kind of elite, vertical production is going to be incredibly difficult for Miami’s offense moving forward.

The challenge becomes exponentially harder with Malik Willis taking over as the team’s new leader under center; as a quarterback with a vastly different, more run-heavy and developmental style, Willis simply doesn’t possess the seasoned passing chemistry or high-volume aerial experience needed to replicate the constant deep-threat impact that Waddle brought to South Florida every single Sunday.

Dolphins also lost Tyreek Hill

As if moving on from Jaylen Waddle wasn’t enough, the Miami Dolphins will also be without Tyreek Hill for the 2026 season. Back in February, the new front office decided to completely clear house, releasing the superstar wide receiver to save nearly $23 million against the salary cap.

Hill’s massive $51 million cap hit, combined with a severe, season-ending knee injury (torn ACL) suffered in September 2025, made him an inevitable cap casualty for a team entering a massive rebuild.

They enter the 2026 NFL season facing one of the most intriguing schedules in the league, with major tests both inside the AFC East and against several recent playoff contenders. They will also continue its annual rivalry games.

Their home schedule at Hard Rock Stadium includes big marquee matchups, while difficult road trips to face the San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings could shape the franchise’s playoff hopes.

Who will the Dolphins face during the 2026 NFL season?

The Miami Dolphins will face all three AFC East rivals twice during the 2026 NFL season, while also taking on teams from the AFC West and NFC North as part of the league’s scheduling rotation.

Miami’s schedule rotation also includes matchup-based games against the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts and San Francisco 49ers after the team finished third in the AFC East during the 2025 campaign.

They are set to play eight home games at Hard Rock Stadium and nine road games this season. Their home slate includes major matchups against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, Justin Herbert and the Chargers.

Their schedule is already being projected as one of the toughest in the NFL based on opponent win totals from last season. Several analysts expect them to face teams that either reached the playoffs or finished with winning records in 2025.

Home opponents

• Buffalo Bills
• New England Patriots
• New York Jets
• Kansas City Chiefs
• Los Angeles Chargers
• Chicago Bears
• Detroit Lions
• Cincinnati Bengals

Away opponents

• Buffalo Bills
• New England Patriots
• New York Jets
• Denver Broncos
• Las Vegas Raiders
• Green Bay Packers
• Minnesota Vikings
• Indianapolis Colts
• San Francisco 49ers

Castellanos played for UCF, Boston College, and Florida State in college as a quarterback. In his last year with the Seminoles, he registered 180 completions for 2,760 yards, 15 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.

Nevertheless, his dual-threat ability has opened a new chance for him to join the NFL. According to Jordan Schultz, Castellanos has been invited by the Titans and Dolphins to their rookie minicamps, although not as a quarterback but as a wide receiver.

Castellanos’ best chances to go pro could be as a WR

While Castellanos’ numbers as a quarterback are not bad, they were not outstanding enough to be drafted in 2026. However, his stats as a runner may be the best path for him to land an NFL job.

Rushing the football, Castellanos registered 1,984 yards on 459 attempts and an astonishing 24 touchdowns. His arm power and precision might not be elite, but his rushing and receiving skills may be.

Castellanos has already been spotted on camera doing wide receiver drills. His size, roughly 5’10” and 201 lbs (1.78 m, 91 kg), is not ideal for an NFL quarterback, yet as a WR with his rushing and receiving skills, he might be a hidden undrafted gem.

Neither Titans nor Dolphins have anything to lose with Castellanos

Both the Titans and Dolphins are undergoing significant transitions. By giving Castellanos a tryout, both clubs hope to find a “steal” in the undrafted rookie class, and their seasons will not suffer at all from taking this look.

The Dolphins, following the departures of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, have a vastly different wide receiver room. Miami, in particular, has little to lose by giving the former QB a chance to add talent to their offense.

Hafley said, “We could see him getting some work at guard or tackle. We’ll all talk more about it and sort it out.” Now, Proctor played almost exclusively at left tackle during his last season with Alabama, but the Dolphins saw potential to move him across the line if needed.

It’s also stated that offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik loves a good running game, and according to NBC Sports, Proctor could take the majority of his snaps at right guard due to his run-blocking prowess.

The Dolphins have too many holes on their roster

Miami is going to have some rough years ahead. The fact is its roster is hugely depleted and lacks quality in both defense and offense. In fact, the only roster spot that is covered in an above-average way is the running game with De’Von Achane.

But even Achane needs help, and if Proctor manages to translate his run-blocking prowess into the NFL, Achane could thrive running through Proctor’s side of the line. Still, this roster has very low expectations as it’s arguably the worst roster in football right now.

Who was the other player selected by the Dolphins in the first round?

With the 27th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Dolphins drafted cornerback Chris Johnson, and that wasn’t well received either. Players like EDGE Keldrick Faulk, CB Colton Hood, or WR Denzel Boston were still on the board.

Johnson was mainly projected as a second-round pick. Hence, it’s a bit of a reach for the Dolphins to get him in the first round. Still, he has plenty of athleticism and ball skills. It just remains to be seen if he was worth the first-round pick.

Those six teams are the New York Jets, New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, and Miami Dolphins. All of those teams have a pick inside the top 12, which gives them even more of a premium, though the time to select will be the same for every team in the 2026 NFL Draft.

By having multiple teams with first-rounders, it logically means that there are teams that don’t have a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Having said that, this doesn’t mean the Jets, Giants, Browns, Chiefs, Cowboys, and Dolphins are set for success. Drafting is an art —or a lottery. There is no certainty that the picks will actually live up to the hype.

Why are these teams having multiple first-rounders?

The Jets have their second first-rounder thanks to trading Sauce Gardner to the Colts. The Browns hold extra picks following a trade with the Jaguars last year, where the Jaguars picked Travis Hunter. As for the Chiefs, their 29th pick comes from the Los Angeles Rams, thanks to the Trent McDuffie trade.

The Dallas Cowboys have an extra first-rounder courtesy of the Packers for the Micah Parsons deal. In the Dolphins’ case, their extra pick comes from Denver due to the Jaylen Waddle trade. The Giants recently traded Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals for the 10th pick, hence their draft capital.

Is this a good NFL Draft class?

This may not be a stacked class. In fact, analysts like Josh Edwards of CBS Sports have stated that this draft “may not have more than 12 players worthy of a first-round grade.” Hence, while still having valuable picks, the talent selected with them is not expected to create a big enough impact, though we’ll have to wait and see.

Besides, this is still valuable draft capital that can otherwise be used in trades. After all, teams can get desperate, overvalue, or just find appropriate picks that a team before them doesn’t need. It’s going to be a very fun draft to watch.

“He’s not available for trade. Things are going good. We’ve had some positive conversations over the past couple days, trending in the right direction. He’s obviously very important to what we’re doing. We’ll get to where we need to be, one way or another.”

Achane will enter the final year of his contract in 2026 and is seeking an extension that would make him one of the highest-paid players at the running back position. His last season was outstanding, with 1,350 yards and eight touchdowns.

What’s next for Dolphins?

The next step for the Dolphins is to solidify their rebuilding process during the 2026 NFL Draft. Owner Stephen Ross made a major shift by bringing in new faces like general manager Jon Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Haffey. Additionally, they decided to trade Jaylen Waddle and decided to release Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill.

Will De’Von Achane get a contract extension with Dolphins?

De’Von Achane is expected to ask for at least $12 million per season, considering recent deals given to other running backs like Travis Etienne with the Saints or Kenneth Walker with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Dolphins want to keep him on the team, but it’s unclear whether they are willing to pay that number. Achane is viewed as a cornerstone of the offense.

The USC product would instantly become the best wideout on the Dolphins roster. After all, they released Tyreek Hill and traded Jaylen Waddle. Also, they are not close on De’Von Achane’s contract extension.

Hence, Lemon would be a sign of hope for the Dolphins offense. He would also make newly-signed Malik Willis’ life easier. The quarterback would factually have a top-tier receiver to throw to.

Makai Lemon is the second-highest rated WR in the NFL Draft

Makai Lemon’s stock rose through the ranks thanks to his 79 catches for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns during his last collegiate season. He was the 2025 Biletnikoff Award winner, given to the most outstanding receiver in NCAA Division I.

Lemon is just below Ohio State’s Carnell Tate on draft projections. This is because he runs A-grade routes, has good hands and football IQ, and big athleticism. Hence, he is a versatile wideout that could provide plenty of solutions for Miami.

Dolphins updated WR depth chart

Right now, the wide receiver room is not precisely stacked with elite talent. Tutu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert look like the first two options. Then, the order falls to Malik Washington as a slot receiver.

Then, you have depth pieces like Tahj Washington, Theo Wease Jr., AJ Henning, and Terrace Marshall. None of the seven wideouts are great options. In fact, Tolbert and Atwell have never been more than WR3 in their careers.

According to Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald, no deals are close to being made between the Dolphins and De’Von Achane. The same goes with the situations of Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson, linebackers of the team, and center Aaron Brewer.

It seems like the Dolphins are entering the rebuild phase where if they see talent, they trade it away. The new regime of general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley starts by cleaning house to a whole new level.

Estimated cost for Achane

James Cook of the Buffalo Bills signed a five-year, $51.6 million with $30 million guaranteed. According to Kelly, Achane is aiming at a similar deal, and that he won’t accept a dollar less than $11 million per year.

Achane was already a key piece of this offense, but with Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill, and Tua Tagovailoa all gone, they need Achane on the roster, and give him the ball all day long.

The Dolphins never fulfilled expectations in their past era

With Mike McDaniel, the expectations were that he would coach Tagovailoa, Hill, Waddle, and company to new heights. However, no expectations were reached. They just made the playoffs a couple of times for quick goodbyes.

With Hafley on board, the hope is a new culture brews within the building, and with that, better results. Eventually that is, because now the team is getting rid of the talent it has. The immediate goal is to establish the foundations.

According to Dolphins reporters Marcel Louis-Jacques and Barry Jackson, Hafley made it clear “this is all part of the business”. Moreover, the first-year head coach believes Jon-Eric Sullivan and the front office will figure out a way to keep Achane in Miami.

The Dolphins are entering a complete rebuild. Stars such as Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Bradley Chubb, and others have already left. Many believe Achane could be the next name on that list, but Miami has no desire to move on from its best and most electric player.

Achane knows his worth in Miami

When Achane touches the pigskin, anything can happen in Miami Gardens. However, if he isn’t paid accordingly, the star running back could look for a future elsewhere. Achane knows how crucial he is to the Dolphins’ offense. Still, running back is the most underpaid position in the NFL, and even Achane may fall victim to a system that exploits halfbacks but leaves them out to dry as soon as things head south.

Entering a contract year, the stakes are just too high for the product out of Texas A&M. Thus, he is using his leverage to get a deal out of Miami before the season begins. If not, he could risk: (a) suffering an injury, (b) watching his production dip, or (c) both.

Any option would hinder his value and could end up costing him a lot of money, as well as job security in a league that can forget its stars as fast as it initially dubbed them generational talents. That is also part of the business—an ugly side to it, perhaps, but no less real because of it.

Could Achane ask out of Miami?

For all of these reasons, Achane may ask to be traded to a team with a real shot at the Vince Lombardi Trophy. For the Phins, it feels like any championship window won’t open for a while—not unless they find their franchise savior in the upcoming draft or in 2027. The lack of success Miami has had in drafting franchise quarterbacks leads fans to not be fully sold on that promise.

Achane is the most explosive player on a Miami Dolphins squad that lacks weapons on both sides of the ball. Miami would love nothing more than to keep the fourth-year running back in town. Yet the Phins are well aware that, just as elusive as he is on the gridiron and capable of breaking off to the races, Achane could just as quickly bolt from the Dolphins.

It’s paramount for Sullivan and Haffley to figure out a way to keep him around. In a worst-case scenario, Miami should vie for a king’s ransom in a trade involving Achane. Any other outcome may be a terrible omen to start Sullivan and Haffley’s time in South Florida.