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De’Vone Achane’s holdout could lead to a Vikings trade.
The Miami Dolphins are in a precarious spot ahead of the 2026 season. After cutting ties with longtime players like Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, another star player may be on his way out after skipping the first day of offseason workouts.
Running back De’Von Achane was notably absent for the Dolphins’ voluntary workout, and newly appointed head coach Jeff Hafley confirmed that his star player was not at the facility.
“Achane was not here today,” Hafley said. “I think those are talks for another time in between [De’Von] Achane and ‘Sully’ (Jon-Eric Sullivan) and those guys. I’m not going to dive into those thoughts right now. That’s all like, honestly, that’s part of the business. It’s part of what every team goes through in those situations and they’ll work it out.”
While Miami has adamantly denied that Achane could be traded, it hasn’t stopped speculation that the running back could be on the move to a running back needy team like the Minnesota Vikings.
De’Von Achane’s Holdout May Be The Jump-Start the Vikings Need for a Potential Trade
The Vikings were linked to Achane earlier in the offseason, even before Miami made their big cuts and trades, and his holdout is likely to fire those rumors up once again. After racking up 1,350 rushing yards last season, Achane would be the homerun hitter that the Vikings offense desperately needs. And with just a $1.145 million base salary, the cap-strapped Vikings would have no issues bringing him aboard.
Minnesota has plenty of draft capital to make a deal, and by picking at No. 18, will likely be out of the Jeremiyah Love sweepstakes. Adding Achane may be the best option for the Vikings to add a playmaker ahead of the season without breaking the bank.
Although Minnesota already has two solid running backs on the roster in Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, the room is far from perfect. Jones is back in 2026 on a reduced deal and will enter his age 31 season. Meanwhile, Mason has mostly performed in just a power back role, with a long gain of just 24 yards in 2025. Achane would offer youth and playmaking ability that both of the current Viking backs lack.
Will the Dolphins Deal De’Von Achane During the NFL Draft?
A divorce between Achane and the Dolphins is possible, but Miami maintains that keeping him will remain a priority. The franchise is in the midst of a complete rebuild, and lacks much firepower beyond Achane, but whether or not the Vikings or any other team can tempt the Dolphins enough is yet to be seen.
Still, although the Dolphins haven’t been actively shopping him, a deal isn’t totally out of the question based on some recent comments by general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan.
“My job is always to listen,” Sullivan said. “Nobody’s untouchable in this business. I don’t believe in that, because you never know who’s on the other side of the phone, what they’re going to offer, but there’s zero effort on my end to move Achane.”
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