Attention fantasy managers: Prepare yourself for the return of Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane — it’s coming very soon.
With the Dolphins’ bye this weekend, the dynamic running back has 13 more days to recover from the Week 5 knee injury that relegated him to injured reserve. And while he stopped short of guaranteeing Achane will be back for the Raiders game on Nov. 19, head coach Mike McDaniel certainly hinted at it.
Mike McDaniel on De’Von Achane, Rob Jones pic.twitter.com/yQ1GNQflj4
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) November 6, 2023
Latest on Miami Dolphins RB De’Von Achane
“No setbacks,” McDaniel said when asked about Achane. “So we’ll see.
“So far, so good. There hasn’t been any reason to think that it’ll take longer [than the four-game mandatory absence for players on IR],” McDaniel added. “But you know how those things are; you have to take it one day at a time. So we’ll approach that when we need to make a more firm decision.”
Step 1 will be to designate Achane to return, which the Dolphins will likely do next Wednesday.
They have a light practice this Tuesday, but given the roster maneuvering that would come with elevating Achane to the 53-man roster, the team might not think it’s worth the hassle to bring him back this week.
MORE: Miami Dolphins Depth Chart
But Achane seems fit, spry, and close to return, based on this footage last week from independent journalist Simon Clancy, who was with the team in Frankfurt, Germany.
Nice to see De’von Achane out running as cutting. That’s good news for Miami pic.twitter.com/HCQZcRqDuw
— Simon Clancy (@SiClancy) November 3, 2023
If so, it would be a huge lift to a Dolphins offense that has sputtered in two of the last three weeks.
Even despite missing the last six games, Achane still ranks 16th league-wide in rushing yards (460) and tied for 10th in rushing touchdowns (5).
Meanwhile, McDaniel had no update on guard Rob Jones, who left Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs with a knee injury.
“Because of the crazy travel and us trying to get a lot of stuff done while also giving the players a couple of days off, I’ll probably have more information on that tomorrow,” said McDaniel, who added that Jones was still undergoing tests on Monday to determine the nature and severity of his injury.
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