Kelly: Competition to replace De’Von Achane has a front-runner

Omar Kelly admin October 5, 2026 0 Comments

Kelly: Competition to replace De’Von Achane has a front-runner | Opinion

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota

Here is the human element of this gladiator sport we call football.

Jaylen Wright labored all week, fighting his way back from a foot injury that sidelined him the previous game.

He practiced well enough to earn the starting role as De’Von Achane’s replacement a week after the Miami Dolphins lost their Pro Bowl tailback to a season-ending left knee injury.

But when Wright’s opportunities came, when his moment to shine, carrying the Dolphins’ rushing attack finally arrived, his performance had the fizzle of a flat soda considering the former University of Tennessee standout gained 7 rushing yards on five carries.

The disappointing performance in Miami’s 15-10 loss prompted him to leave the locker room for a quiet moment with himself after Sunday’s game. As he walked down the U.S. Bank Stadium tunnel outside the Dolphins’ locker room he was visibly upset and attempted to cover it up by draping a towel over his head.

On the flip side, Ollie Gordon II, who began Sunday’s game against Brian Flores’ blitz-happy Vikings defense in a third-down back role, was all smiles, grinning from ear to ear after the game.

Even though Gordon usually sports a cheesy grin due to his upbeat nature, producing his first 100-yard rushing performance and scoring his second touchdown of the 2026 season on nine carries warranted a toothy smile.

“It’s been a minute since this has happened,” Gordon said, referring to a 100-yard rushing performance in a game.

The last time it happened for him was his final season at Oklahoma State, when he ran for 156 yards and three touchdowns off 15 carries in a 56-48 loss to Texas Tech in 2024.

“When the men up front handle their business like that, it’s one of those things where we can get downhill,” said Gordon, a 2025 sixth-round pick. “Run without thinking.”

The catalyst for Gordon’s breakout NFL performance was the 53-yard carry he had on Miami’s first possession of the second half. That run set up the Dolphins’ first score of the game when kicker Riley Patterson made a 27-yard field goal after the offense stalled in the red zone.

Gordon would score on a 12-yard run in the final minute of the third quarter, closing the deficit to five points in the fourth quarter.

“In the second half we came out with a lot of energy, a lot of juice. Ollie was definitely hitting the holes, running great,” left tackle Patrick Paul said. “I felt like he was more confident with the holes, and even with the pressure, even with the blitzes, there was still going to be space, and he hit it.”

Gordon, who came into Sunday’s game averaging 2.4 yards per carry, boosted his season yards-per-carry average to 5.1 in one game.

We will likely learn which direction that impressive average goes in next Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

But Gordon’s impressive game against Minnesota was the Dolphins’ first 100-yard rushing performance since Wright had 107 yards on the ground last season in a 34-10 win over the New York Jets.

After that game Wright cried because of all the adversity he fought back from after sustaining a knee injury in training camp and working his way back into the playing rotation.

The Vikings game was Wright’s second NFL start, but if Gordon continues producing big runs like the one he made against the Vikings, it could be Wright’s last for a minute.

Or until he starts delivering for the Dolphins, particularly in games.

But don’t be surprised if Miami keeps riding the hot hand.

“I’m just trying to keep stacking those days, working with the O-line up front,” said Gordon, who gained 199 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns in the 70 carries he had last year as a rookie. “Hopefully we can have some more of those.”