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Miami Dolphins Head Coach Jeff Hafley made a joking statement about one of the team’s best players, but what does it mean for his potential workload?
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In an interview Monday with Rich Eisen, Hafley laughingly said that he told star running back De’Von Achane that he could see an unheard-of workload next season.
“I just gave Achane a heads-up this morning and I told him, ‘You better be in good shape… After you touch the ball 40, 45 times, I might have to pick you up, and I’ll carry you back into the locker room.'”
Achane in Context
Quite frankly, 40 touches is an absurd number. Achane’s career high in touches per game is only 29, and dating back to his college career, his personal record is still just 38, which he tallied in his final game at Texas A&M.
To find the last 40-touch game in the NFL, you have to go back to 2021, where Derrick Henry, a listed 57 pounds heavier than Achane, received 41 with the Titans.
So, knowing that 40 touches is a pipe dream, while also understanding that Achane’s workload likely will increase in the post-Tyreek Hill era after receiving a new contract extension, what’s the magic number?
Projecting Achane’s Touches
De’Von Achane averaged 19.1 touches per game last season, a career high for the three-year pro. Meanwhile, the NFL’s leader, Christian McCaffrey, averaged 24.3. McCaffrey is an outlier in recent NFL history, however, as he’s the only player in the last eight seasons to record 400 or more touches in a single season (he’s done it twice in that span). Second-place Jonathan Taylor had 369 in 2025, while Achane had 305.
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A more realistic target for Achane (assuming an increase) is somewhere between 20 and 22 touches per game. The league leader in yards per carry in 2025, Achane finished only 14th in total carries, with 238 – 14 more (about one more carry per game) would have gotten him into the top 10, and 32 more (two per game since he played 16 last season) would have tied him for sixth.
As for Achane’s receiving workload, it seems that a change would be in the quality of targets, rather than the quantity. He finished tied for fifth in running back targets, but had a negative air yards per target, per NFL Pro. With a young and unproven receiving group, it wouldn’t be surprising to see more opportunities out wide and farther down the field.
A projection for Achane, given this information, would be somewhere in the 320 to 340 touch range, which would have placed him between fifth and seventh among the NFL in 2025.
Achane certainly will be the focal point of the Dolphins’ offense in 2026. However, a healthy workload, more than anything, will be the key to keeping the 195-pound back upright throughout his extension. Jeff Hafley will be looking to get him the ball often, but finding the sweet spot will be crucial.
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This story was originally published August 12, 2026 at 5:18 AM.