Mike McDaniel provides noncommittal update when asked about De’Von Achane’s injury status

Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane put together a standout performance in Sunday’s game against quarterback Daniel Jones and the New York Giants.

He ran for one touchdown and 151 yards on 11 carries — which equates to 13.7 yards per carry — in a game the Dolphins went on to win by a final score of 31-16. They improved their record to 4-1 on the season with the win.

Achane performed the best out of any of Miami’s running backs in the win, considering no other Dolphins running back ran for more than 65 yards against the Giants. Also, no Giants running back ran for more than 25 yards in what was a forgettable performance by New York’s rushing offense.

But Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel recently said that Achane has a knee injury and was mum on his status for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.

The Dolphins selected Achane with the No. 84 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft after he played three seasons of college football at Texas A&M University.

The 5-foot-9 running back staked his claim as one of the best players at his position in the nation during his junior season, the 2022 season. He accumulated 1,102 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in 10 appearances with the Aggies as a junior.

Despite being a rookie, Achane has performed at a very high level with the Dolphins thus far during the 2023 regular season. The 21-year-old has run for 460 yards, five touchdowns and 15 first downs in four games with the team (one start).

Additionally, Achane currently leads the entire NFL in yards per carry (12.1) and rushing yards per game (115.0), and his longest rushing attempt this season went for a whopping 76 yards.

Hopefully, Achane will be healthy enough to play in Sunday’s game against the Panthers. But even if he ends up sitting out the game due to his knee injury, the Dolphins should have no problem defeating the Panthers.

After all, Carolina owns a poor 0-5 record and is the only team in the NFL that has yet to earn a win during the 2023 regular season.