The Miami Dolphins shipped off Jaylen Waddle, and teams began to immediately call about running back De'Von Achane. After being told no, is this a situation where he is truly untradeable?
The Miami Dolphins continue to toe the line between being a team in a complete teardown and one that has been playing the part of a fast rebuilder.
Though there has not been a fire sale of sorts, the trade of Jaylen Waddle led to many calls about fellow playmaker and running back. De'Von Achane. Almost immediately, reports came in that the Dolphins would not consider trading Achane, but is that really true?
One of the biggest aspects of the Waddle trade is that it directly contradicts what general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley had to say about the team's foundational pieces. The receiver was among them and is now on a new team.
To be fair, Sullivan did walk back those comments and indicated that its his job to listen to any and all offers. He also stated that every player is available for the right price.
Now, what would be the right price for Achane?
In the running back's short three-season career, he has amassed 4,334 yards from scrimmage and 35 touchdowns from scrimmage.
This includes 3,057 rushing yards, 22 rushing touchdowns, 1,277 receiving yards, and 13 receiving touchdowns.
Achane has emerged as a solid dual-threat back who continues to get better every year. He also led the league in 2025 with 5.7 yards per rush average, which is coupled with his career total of 5.6 yards per rush average.
Simply put, the Pro Bowl running back is starting to look like an All-Pro, and his ceiling does not seem to have been identified just yet.
With only three seasons under his belt, one of which was his rookie season, where he missed six games due to injury — Achane is a premier back.
Any team that would want to trade for the Dolphins' playmaker would likely have to pay a very high price. If Waddle went for the No. 30 overall, a third, and a fourth round pick in 2026, Achane's price will likely eclipse that.
Similar to when the Dolphins traded Laremy Tunsil, they only accepted the trade due to being offered two first-round picks.
Achane's star is only rising, and it would likely take something along the lines of two firsts for the Dolphins to consider trading their last remaining proven offensive playmaker.
Sullivan and the front office may have told reporters that Achane is not available, but he did just trade Waddle after saying something similar.
There are a multitude of teams that would see their rosters heavily upgraded with Achane. Whether or not they are willing to pay more than a high first-round pick remains to be seen.
The Dolphins also have nine draft picks, two of which are in the first round, and four in the third round. This includes the fact that the team may have emerging stars in Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II.
A replacement for Achane could be found in the draft, especially if a team views him as their future and offers more first-round picks for the Dolphins to use immediately.
The stars would have to align in a major way for the Dolphins to trade Achane, but he might not be as untouchable as reports have suggested.