Read the full transcript from RB De'Von Achane's media availability on August 10, 2026.

I noticed that for some reason EA Sports Madden 27 has you graded as the 11th-best running back. Did you know that and what do you think?

De'Von Achane: Madden is video games so I don't kind of take that serious, but I mean, it is what it is. Like No. 11, No. 12, even if I was No. 1, it's a video game. I mean, I can easily go upgrade myself if it was that serious, but it's just really a video game. (laughter) I don't pay too much mind of it.

Do you feel underrated still?

De'Von Achane: I mean, everybody got their opinion. I mean, me, I feel like, I'm always going to be No. 1 to me. And like I said, everybody got their favorites so it's like underrated, overrated, it don't matter.

You've always had Tyreek, Jaylen Waddle here, Tua here. What do you think of the idea of now you being the man for this offense like maybe for the season?

De'Von Achane: It's great man. Like I said it come with the role and I feel like I'm ready for it. It's kind of something that you live for, you know, when the team going to you and I feel like I'm able to do it.

Does anything change for you, your approach, or do you try to keep things the same as you've been doing before when you had all those events?

De'Von Achane: I do the same thing. Like doesn't change. I feel like when you try to change stuff, I feel like it kind of sort of don't go your way, but you keep doing what you're doing, keep doing what you know is right and what's good for you. I mean, it kind of falls in place.

We don't know yet if you're going to play obviously this week in the preseason game. But for you, just from a prepared standpoint, how much how much preseason run do you like to get when you feel like you're ready for a season?

De'Von Achane: Like I said I really don't know how the stuff going, but I always like to get in and play, get in and get tackled. And it's always nice to go against somebody other than our defense. So and then it's game simulated. So it's for me, I like to get in, you know, get a couple touches, fall on the ground, just to get it going before we get into Week 1 when it actually counts.

How excited are you to get joint practices in the books, how excited are you just to finally see another team?

De'Von Achane: Like you say, like I've been telling, I just want to see us against somebody else because like I said, we go against this defense so much. I mean, we kind of know each other. When we're going our defense, we just sharpening our skills. So it's finally good to go with people who don't know what we're doing. And if we check to something, they don't know what's going on. So I'm excited, man.

You have the same offensive line for most of camp so far. How would you rate where the chemistry is with yourself and the five guys up front right now?

De'Von Achane: We're great, man. Like I said, we just keep working day by day. And I feel like we always communicate out there. And once the offense get together going on one page, I feel like we make plays.

Hafley talked about your growth as a leader. Just why was it important for you to take that next step?

De'Von Achane: It was just important for the team. The leadership thing kind of like fell into my lap, but like you said, I'm getting better at it and it's something I'm getting comfortable with. I feel like being RB1 and like you said a star on the team, I gotta be that. So whatever the team need by me, I'm willing to give it to them.

What have you learned from some of the past leaders that were here, like the Terron Armsteads, guys like that that helped you with your approach?

De'Von Achane: Just when something needs to be said, like don't hold nothing in. Like say it, you ain't got to be rude or nothing, but like sometimes the team, like we need that. They need to hear somebody talk. And when they need that, I need to be the one.

The Dolphins showed investment in youth this offseason, obviously. What was your first reaction to seeing Gibbs and Bijan getting their big deals?

De'Von Achane: It was great, man. Like you said, that's great for the running backs, those are my guys. I sent texts out to both, congratulate them. But just to see us, being valued the way we should have been, I feel like it's good for all running backs.

What's it been like for you picking Hafley's brain and kind of get to know him as you guys – obviously you're one of the leaders on this team. So what's it been like kind of building a relationship with Hafley?

De'Von Achane: It's good man, like just to see like what they're thinking on defensive side of the ball. Like he is a defensive coach. He's our head coach, but he's on the defensive side of the ball. And just seeing what they're calling, what they're checking to and just give him a hard time, you know asking him like 'can I get some single matchups? I don't want to be double team all the time,' you know, just having fun with each other and seeing what he's seeing from us and what we see from him.

He also said you're like really fun. What do you guys talk about besides football?

De'Von Achane: I feel like on the field, it's just really football man. When we on the field, it's football. Outside the field, talking, make sure each other's family is good. But you know football is fun, so that's kind of our conversation.

Have you started to develop a bond with Bobby where you can tell him what are your favorite plays, what you like to run in the pass and the run game?

De'Von Achane: Most definitely, Bobby is always coming to me, man. Like when we're in two-minute situations, he's always coming to me like, okay, if we get into third down, what play you want? Do you want to run the ball, you want a route? We're building that relationship going on from last year, so I feel like that's good to have because if I see something that I want and I feel I got a mismatch there, I can go up to him be like, okay, I think we should run this. And he don't got no problem calling it.

What have you seen out of Carlos Washington Jr.? He seems to be running very hard, making plays out the backfield. What have you seen from him?

De'Von Achane: Like I said, he dropped the ball today and I told him it's going to come back, like it happens. I dropped the football before. Like it's not something that just don't happen, it's part of the game. But just see him go out there and then catch a wide and go for like 20-30 yards, and I told him like it's going to come back. Just because you make one mistake, that don't mean like you're just not going to get no more opportunities. As long as you capitalize on opportunities when they come after that and how you respond, and I feel like he'll be good.

At that same thing they asked you about Bobby, how much can you develop that with Malik Willis on the field as far as talking about what I see, maybe quickly identifying?

De'Von Achane: Me and Malik always talking on the field. Even a run play, pass play, like protection wise, or if I got this or I get that, or if he play me a certain way, what he what he looking at. So I feel like it's good to have that chemistry with your quarterback so it'd be easier. So y'all out there thinking, 'oh, I thought you were doing this. I thought he was doing that.' When we on one page, it's great.

How does what he can do with his legs help you?

De'Von Achane: It help you a lot. Defense got a lot of people to watch. They can't just be worrying about receivers, running backs, our quarterback can make plays with his feet, and I feel like they got to be able to contain. They can't make sure you got to have a spy on him at all times, and when we when we in scrimmage drill, I feel like they got to account for him. When he can make plays and score the football with his legs, I feel like it's great for us.

I know all-purpose yards is important to you, but is it important to you to lead the team in receptions?

De'Von Achane: No, not really. I'm a running back. If it just happens that way, it happens that way. I'm not the type of person be like, 'okay, I want to run routes. I want to do this. I want to do that,' because I play running back and I believe in our receivers that we have. I let them do their job. I do my job. But running routes, it's part of it. But if it happens to come my way and then it comes my way, I'm not asking, 'I want you to throw me the ball.'

On that topic, how excited are you to see some of these young wide receivers in a real in a real game setting?

De'Von Achane: It's gonna be fun, man. Like I said, that's another reason I like preseason just so you can see what they capable of and the opportunities that they have. And just them being out there being free and being able to play, and us being on the sideline congratulating them, coaching them up and just seeing what they doing. And like you said, as far as our running back room, like Carlos, Donovan, Hank, it's just they've been putting in great work and I just can't wait for them to go out there on the field and show people.

Are you looking to be or are you expecting to be a captain this year?

De'Von Achane: I would hope so. I mean, that ain't up to me. I don't get a vote in that, but I hope that the team and the coaches and organization chooses me to be a captain. And if I am, great. If I ain't, great; I just follow who our captains are.

How have you sharpened your mindset throughout your football career and how are you going to take that to your teammates throughout the season?

De'Von Achane: You got to be great at doing the boring things. The things that people get bored at, you got to be great at that. And just because I've been in the offense four times, I mean, I still gotta make sure I'm looking at like this is my first time hearing it. So when I do hear it, it's like this is first nature to me. I feel like when I'm out there and I know everything and I know if a receiver is lined up, if he got this, if he got that, because we got to communicate on the field. So when I know everything, I feel like if somebody need help, I'm able to help them.