Miami Dolphins rookie running back De’Von Achane left the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders with a knee injury.
It was Achane’s first time taking the field for the Dolphins since he suffered a knee injury versus the New York Giants back on Oct. 8.
On Monday, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel provided an update on where Achane stands after his injury against the Raiders.
Mike McDaniel said Dolphins RB De’Von Achane is feeling better and his re-aggravated knee injury will not require surgery.
He’s considered day to day, and is not a lock either way to play in or sit out of Friday’s game against the New York Jets
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) November 20, 2023
Despite being without one of their better running backs for almost the entirety of the game, the Dolphins still went on to beat the Raiders by a final score of 20-13. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw for 325 yards and two touchdowns in the victory, while wide receiver Tyreek Hill racked up 146 yards and one touchdown on 10 receptions.
It’s unfortunate that Achane — who was drafted in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft — hasn’t been able to avoid the injury bug so far in his rookie season, as he’s played at a high level for the Dolphins when healthy.
In five games played and two starts for Miami this season, the 22-year-old running back has logged 461 rushing yards, 15 first downs rushing and five rushing touchdowns. Plus, he is averaging a league-leading 92.2 rushing yards per game.
Achane’s performance against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 24 stands out as his top performance of the season to this point. The Texas A&M University product ran for a whopping 203 yards along with two touchdowns on 18 carries. No other Miami running back ended up with more than 82 rushing yards against Denver.
The rookie’s dominant showing against the Broncos helped the Dolphins score 70 points in the win, the most points any NFL team has scored in a single game since 1966. Besides scoring 70 points, Miami was able to hold the Broncos to just 20 points.
At least Achane won’t need surgery on his knee, but it seems like there’s a possibility that he won’t suit up for Miami’s next game against the New York Jets on Nov. 24.
After playing the Jets, the Dolphins will then take on the Washington Commanders on the road on Dec. 3.
