Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane was not with the team at the start of their offseason workout program on Tuesday, head coach Jeff Hafley told reporters on Tuesday.
Achane, 24, is eligible to receive a contract extension this summer with three seasons under his belt. His absence is believed to be contract-related.
Hafley deferred to the front office when asked Tuesday about Achane’s absence but suggested that the matter was simply business.
“Those are talks for another time between Achane, Sully (Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan) and those guys,” Hafley said. “I’m not going to dive into those talks right now. That’s part of the business, it’s part of what every team goes through in those situations, and they’ll work it out.”
Attendance for this portion of Miami's offseason workouts is voluntary. The Dolphins hold a mandatory minicamp June 2-4.
The Dolphins clearly are planning on Achane being part of the rebuild. Last week at the Annual League Meeting, Sullivan said he wasn’t shopping Achane.
“There is zero effort on my end to move Achane," Sullivan said, adding that Achane was a “building block” and that signing him to a contract extension was a team "priority" in the coming weeks or months.
A third-round pick by Miami in 2023, Achane has run for 3,057 yards and 22 touchdowns and caught 172 passes for 1,277 yards (7.4-yard average) and 13 TDs in 44 games (36 starts).
Achane’s 5.7-yard rushing average led the NFL last season and his 1,350 rush yards were the fifth-most in the league.