Malik Willis Gets Important Update on Dolphins Offense After Losing Both Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill

Following the offseason departures of star wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the Miami Dolphins‘ offensive strategy has become a major question, especially after they signed quarterback Malik Willis to a massive contract (3-year, $67.5M deal). However, the new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan has confirmed a significant development regarding the Dolphins’ key offensive weapon, who has continued to perform at a high level despite the surrounding dysfunctionality.

“My job is to always listen. Yeah, it’s important to us to get a deal done with De’Von [Achane],” Sullivan said, as per ESPN. “He is a difference maker as a player. We are in talks. We’re gonna try to get that done. It’s a priority to us. He is a building block for us as we move forward.”

“I think he’s a rare player. His feet, his acceleration, his ability to play on all three downs. He’s a very good pass catcher. He reminds me of a lot of a guy that I played with in high school by the name of Warrick Dunn, who went on to have a marvelous career. Maybe it’s the 28 that he wears on his back, which Warrick wore forever. But I do – I see a lot of similarities. Now, Warrick did it for a decade, and neither one of them are big guys, and I think if De’Von was sitting here, he’d be the one to tell you, like I think that’s gonna be the question for him. Can he be as durable as Warrick was over time? But he’s a marvelous player. We wanna move forward with him. It’s important to us to get a deal done. He’s part of the future for us.”

This update from the Miami GM reveals the franchise’s plan to extend star running back De’Von Achane. The 24-year-old recorded a career-high 1,350 yards while completing eight touchdowns in the 2025 season. With these numbers, he also secured his first Pro Bowl nod. Achane was drafted in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft and will enter the final year of his rookie contract.

The 24-year-old explicitly expressed last season that he’d like to sign an extension rather than play his final year without one. Hence, with this comment, Sullivan has reiterated the Dolphins’ commitment to their star running back by also confirming that Achane is an “untouchable” asset that won’t be traded away.

Miami Dolphins are in talks to extend De’Von Achane’s contract, Jon-Eric Sullivan revealed

“It’s important to us to get a deal done with De’Von… We’re in talks, we’re going to try get that done, it’s a priority to us. He’s a building block for us.” (@ProFootballTalk)… pic.twitter.com/ZucdYSd6xO

— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) March 31, 2026

While there aren’t confirmed details about what sort of extension the 24-year-old will sign, the Dolphins GM spoke about how the franchise is pushing to secure a deal before the market changes. This urgency also stems from the fact that some of the top running backs in the league, like Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson, will get their extensions sooner rather than later.

“I think anytime you’re extending a player, you’d like to get ahead of the market,” he said. “That’s fairly common sense, but Achane is Achane. Those guys are those guys. Every deal’s different. Every player’s different. There are different factors that go into every deal. We’re excited about moving forward with Achane and getting him done and having him be a huge part of what we’re doing.”

With this statement from Jon-Eric Sullivan, it’s clear that Malik Willis, after signing his three-year, $67.5 million deal, won’t be left stranded on the offense. He needed to have a running game to take the pressure off of him, and Achane could be the answer to that. This star RB has already posted 3,057 yards with 22 touchdowns and caught 172 passes for 1,277 yards with 13 TDs so far in his career.

However, an extension for Achane isn’t the deal the Dolphins are working on, with the GM also confirming talks regarding retaining two more key players part of this era in Miami.

Dolphins pushing to extend Aaron Brewer and Jordyn Brooks

After De’Von Achane, the Miami Dolphins’ front office is hoping to extend center Aaron Brewer and star linebacker Jordyn Brooks this offseason. These players are considered franchise cornerstones by Jon Eric-Sullivan and new head coach Jeff Hafley, around whom the franchise can build its future in the coming years.

“Those are going to be the three kinds of pillars that we build around. Achane, Brew, Brooks,” Sullivan said. “They understand where they are, what we’re trying to get done. There’s an order that we’re going to handle the business in, but they know where they are and how important they are to us.”

Brewer has been one of the best centers in the league, as he earned an 87.4 overall PFF grade in the 2025 season, second among 40 qualified centers. Furthermore, the veteran also bagged a pass-blocking grade of 71.2, ranking him 10th, while his run-blocking grade of 91.5 helped him secure the top rank at the position.

Similarly, like Aaron Brewer, Jordyn Brooks emerged as one of the best players at his position last season. The veteran linebacker finished the year with a league-leading 183 combined tackles, 3.5 sacks, a 92.0 run defense grade, a 90.3 tackling grade, and a 75.0 PPF pass rushing mark.

With this trifecta of stars in Brewer, Brooks, and Achane, the Miami Dolphins have identified key superstars who will be pivotal in the development of the franchise under the new Sullivan-Hafley leadership group. And this was important as well, considering Waddle and Hill aren’t here anymore. Waddle was traded to the Denver Broncos in a deal that included Miami adding first- and third-round draft picks, while Hill hits free agency after his Dolphins exit.

Phins fans will hope the Miami front office can quickly extend the remaining players to ensure a positive 2026 season.

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