After a horrendous start to the season, it seemed that the Miami Dolphins would once again miss the playoffs. While that still may be true, the Dolphins have improved to 6-7 after a dominant 34-10 win over the New York Jets.
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The NFL Fines De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright for ‘Violent Gestures’
Dolphins running backs De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright dominated the ground game, with Achane rushing for 92 yards and one touchdown and Wright rushing for 107 yards and one touchdown. Despite the win, the running backs did something that resulted in a fine by the league.
In the first quarter of the game, Miami scored to put the team up 13-0 before the PAT. Achane and Wright celebrated the score with the celebration below:
The NFL fined Dolphins RB De’von Achane $8,238 and Jaylen Wright $6,388 for unsportsmanlike conduct (violent gesture) — this celebration after a touchdown last week. pic.twitter.com/uWTwEdyZO7
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 13, 2025
As a result of the “violent gestures,” Achane was fined $8,238, and Wright was fined $6,388 for unsportsmanlike conduct. Looking at the gesture, most would likely agree that there is nothing violent about it. Additionally, fining them brings more attention to the gesture — one which most fans probably didn’t even notice while watching the game.
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Achane has been electric for the Dolphins this season as both a runner and a receiver, making him one of the best running backs in the league. In PFSN’s NFL RBi, Achane ranks third in the league with an impact score of 87.7 and is assigned a letter grade of B+. In 13 games, he’s rushed 193 times for 1,126 yards and seven touchdowns, leading the league with 5.8 rushing yards per attempt.
As a receiver, he’s caught 55 passes for 383 yards and four touchdowns. He has been the most valuable player on the Dolphins’ offense this season but left last week’s game early with a rib injury, leaving his status for Monday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers in question.
As for Wright, he’s in his second year with the team after being drafted in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft from the Tennessee Volunteers. In college, he rushed 368 times for 2,297 yards and 18 touchdowns. He doesn’t get the most reps because of Achane, so his numbers are modest. In six games this season, he’s rushed 42 times for 172 yards and one touchdown. In 15 games last season, he rushed 68 times for 249 yards and no touchdowns.