MIAMI — Dolphins running back De’Von Achane will not be a full participant at organized team activities as he continues recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, head coach Jeff Hafley said Tuesday at the team’s practice facility.
Achane missed the final game of the 2025 season with the shoulder issue. “He had something in his shoulder that he had to get cleaned up and he did that,” Hafley said. “He’s rehabbing right now. He’s doing well. You’ll see him out there doing some drills and doing some running around. You just will not see him in full team drills.”
Offensive lineman Austin Jackson is also sitting out full team work after playing through a foot injury last season before having it surgically repaired. “He hurt his foot and a lot of guys in that situation would have opted to have surgery and got something done during it, but he battled through it,” Hafley said. “Even through the end there, he fought through it, and I give him a lot of credit for that.” Wide receiver Chris Bell is also rehabbing and does not have a timetable for return, though Hafley said he is running with the strength and conditioning staff.
Hafley addressed the team’s approach to developing its young offensive linemen, saying the coaching staff is being deliberate about workload. Rookie Kadyn Proctor will stay on the left side, while second-year lineman Jonah Savaiinaea has been moved back to the right side. “He seems more comfortable there,” Hafley said of Savaiinaea, crediting conversations with offensive line coaches Zach Yenser and Matt Applebaum. “If you ask Jonah, he feels good on the right side. So whether it’s mental, whether it’s physical, whether it’s confidence, whether it’s Year 2, our job is to make sure he has a better year than he did last year.”
Rookie Chris Johnson is getting work at both inside and outside positions. Hafley outlined what he looks for in a nickelback, noting the position demands size, physicality and coverage ability. “You’re asking for a very versatile player in the NFL right now to be able to do all those different things,” Hafley said. “We’re trying to figure out which of those he can hold up and do and handle.”
Hafley also discussed his early conversations with Achane about leadership, saying the team needs its best players to set the tone. “I think everybody leads different, and we need our best players to lead whatever way that they can,” Hafley said. “Whether it’s how he practices, whether it’s how he grabs a guy one on one, whether he is loud out on the field, we need our best players to lead and I’m excited for him to do that.”
The Dolphins will continue OTA sessions through the spring before training camp, where Hafley said the staff will make final determinations on position assignments and player readiness.