With the regular season opener four days away, Dolphins fans are hoping that this will be the year of real transformation on offense under coach Mike McDaniel. But as Sunday’s kickoff against the Indianapolis Colts approaches, Miami’s running back depth chart reveals a different story.
With active injury concerns, and a rookie who may be the next man up, the Dolphins are balancing confidence and caution as they prepare to start the season with little room for error in the offensive backfield.
Following the official announcement of Sunday’s starting lineup, which named De’Von Achane as the No. 1 running back, fans are excited for his return in setting the tone of the season opener. After all, they know what to expect from a veteran who rushed for 907 yards and six touchdowns last season.
Where the unknown lies, however, is in the No. 2 spot behind Achane. With a leg injury preventing second-year running back Jaylen Wright from suiting up Week 1, attention now turns to Ollie Gordon II, a rookie from Oklahoma State who impressed the Dolphins coaching staff during the preseason. Gordon, a decorated running back in college who led the nation in rushing yards in 2023 for the Cowboys, ran for 126 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries during Miami’s exhibition slate.
“I just want my [veterans] to be able to trust me. I’m going to keep running hard and downhill just for them,” Gordon said during a training camp interview. “Extra meetings with my coach, extra meetings with my [veterans] … stuff like that. It’s definitely prepared me for this.”
Gordon’s presence might loom even larger in Indianapolis, given Achane is also not at full health. The starter did return to practice last week, but the team is continuing to manage Achane’s calf injury from mid-August, something that could be a potential setback on gameday. He is expected to carry a significant workload behind quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, but any re-aggravation of the injury could quickly change the Dolphins’ direction. All told, Achane missed three weeks of training camp with a calf injury, including the final two preseason games, though McDaniel said last week that those decisions were made as a “preventative measure.”
The outlook isn’t as optimistic for Wright, who underwent a lower leg procedure last month. After rushing for 249 yards and a touchdown as a rookie last season, the path was clear for Wright to assume this season’s No. 2 role.
“Time,” was McDaniel’s answer, in a press conference last week, referring to what Wright needs to get back on the field. “That’s kind of where it’s at.”
Sunday’s game against the Colts, who finished last season with an identical 8-9 record to the Dolphins, will be a true test of how much these two teams have evolved offensively in the offseason. For Gordon, it’s an opportunity to not only contribute to, but also help define, Miami’s progress.
