Jeff Hafley on De’Von Achane workload: He ‘better be in good shape’playDolphins coach: Malik Willis’ confidence is starting to grow (0:51)ESPNMultiple AuthorsAug 11, 2026, 10:09 AM ET
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The Dolphins will have a new-look offense in 2026 under first-year coach Jeff Hafley, who says he won’t be shy about giving the ball to Miami’s best player.
Hafley promised a heavy workload for De’Von Achane during an interview Monday with “The Rich Eisen Show,” saying that the star running back could have games in which he touches the ball more than 40 times.
“I just gave Achane a heads-up this morning and I told him, ‘You better be in good shape,'” Hafley stated. “I told him there might be some games when I have to pick him up and carry him back to the locker room because he’s going to be so tired.”
The speedy Achane had 238 carries and 67 receptions for a career-high 305 touches last season, his third with the Dolphins. He eclipsed 20 touches in eight games, including a season-high 28 against the Bills on Nov. 11.
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Hafley, however, is anticipating a much larger role for Achane in 2026, jokingly adding that he told the Pro Bowler not to tap his helmet — the universal signal that a player needs a break.
“I told him, ‘I don’t ever want to see one of these head taps all year,’ and he looked me right in the eye and he stated, ‘You’ll never get that head tap from me,'” Hafley stated. “I stated, ‘Don’t worry buddy. After you touch the ball 40, 45 times, I might have to pick you up and carry you back into the locker room.'”
Only five players have logged at least 40 touches in a regular-season game since the start of the 2010 season. The most recent was Derrick Henry, who had 41 touches for the Titans in an overtime game against the Seahawks on Sept. 19, 2021.
Seven players had 30 or more touches in a single game last season. Henry had a league-high 36 for the Ravens against Hafley and the Packers on Dec. 27, while 49ers star Christian McCaffrey was the only player to eclipse 30 touches more than once, achieving the feat in five different games.
Achane has the eighth-most touches in the NFL over the past two seasons with 586, and his 145 receptions lead all running backs over that span. He handled that workload with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on Miami’s roster, and figures to be an even larger focal point of the offense now that both wide receivers are gone.
The Dolphins rewarded Achane earlier this year with a four-year, $64 million extension that includes $32 million guaranteed — a deal that signals Miami’s intention to use him as the centerpiece of an offense under first-year coordinator Bobby Slowik and new quarterback Malik Willis.
Workload hyperbole aside, Hafley praised Achane for being a smart player and bringing a “fun energy” to his first training camp as the Dolphins’ head coach.
“He’s one of the smarter players,” Hafley stated. “When you talk to him … he’s really a smart football player, and it’s fun to go back and forth with him. He’s got this fun energy about him. I think he’s a stud.”
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