Explosive running back De'Von Achane has just signed a four-year extension worth $64 million, with a further $4 million available through incentives.

At $16 million per year and $32 million guaranteed, he's now the third-highest-paid running back in the NFL, sitting behind only Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey on that list.

Keeping the 24-year-old in Miami through 2030 is the latest in a series of moves from new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan which suggest the 2026 Dolphins may not be the pushover many expected.

Sullivan and Hafley made Achane a priority

The early signs weren't promising. The Dolphins traded top wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and star defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, then called it a day with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

The list of departures this offseason has been long, and it's carried a significant dead-money hit.

But through all of it, Sullivan was consistent about one thing: Achane wasn't going to be part of the mass exodus.

When Achane didn't show up for the start of voluntary workouts on April 7, it briefly raised some concern, but this always felt like a deal that would get done.

The numbers that earned the contract

Achane is still only 24, and coming off a season in which he ran the ball 238 times for a career-high 1,350 yards and eight rushing touchdowns.

He achieved all of that while also leading the league with a whopping 5.8 yards per carry.

Ever a threat as a receiver, he also caught 67 passes for 488 yards and four touchdowns.

Those numbers were good enough to earn him his first Pro Bowl nod, and he achieved all of this while playing in an offense where stopping him was the first priority for every defense Miami faced.

Coach Hafley left no doubt about Achane's value

Earlier this year, new head coach Jeff Hafley raved about Achane, telling reporters, "He's dynamic. I mean, there's plays that you're not even blocked right for and he gets 6 or 7 yards.

"His vision, his acceleration, the way he can catch the ball out of the backfield, he's so hard to defend."

Speaking at the annual league meeting in March, Sullivan also discussed how Achane is an integral part of what he's trying to build in Miami.

"Achane is a very, very, very important piece of what we're going to do moving forward. He's a building block for us."

Other Miami offseason additions

It hasn't been an easy situation for Sullivan to deal with. The cap situation after clearing out so many contracts was brutal, limiting what he could actually spend on new faces.

Quarterback Malik Willis was the splashy one, signing a three-year, $67.5 million contract with $45 million fully guaranteed, bringing with him the promise of an offense revitalised.

A handful of other budget signings followed in free agency, but the Dolphins knew finding talent via the 2026 NFL Draft would have to be the main focus.

They spent the team's first three picks adding Kadyn Proctor, a talented offensive tackle from Alabama, Chris Johnson, a cornerback with exciting ball skills out of San Diego State, and linebacker Jacob Rodriguez - a player DAZN identified as vastly underrated in the pre-draft process.

Soon after joining Miami, Proctor joined the chorus of those heaping praise on Achane:

"It's going to feel so good, man. Knowing that you're blocking for a guy that makes your job easier, you just sustain your block for as long as you can and give effort and have that grit and toughness.

"He's going to make plays. He's a great running back, fast as hell, and I can't wait to block for him."

Dolphins 2026 outlook

It won't be all plain sailing. Willis is largely untested, and the roster still has holes in key spots, particularly at wide receiver and in the secondary.

But locking up Achane before he could explore the open market sends a message to the fanbase that the rebuild doesn't have to mean three or four years in the wilderness.