BAG ALERT! De'Von Achane Gets PAID By The Miami Dolphins On A 4-Year Contract Extension

Added: 2026-05-15

[00:00:00]Miami Dolphins running back Devon Achan has secured the bag.

[00:00:12]>> You are Locked on Dolphins, your daily Miami Dolphins podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day.

[00:00:22]>> All right, Miami. Welcome to another episode of Locked On Dolphins. It is your team every day here on the Locked On Network. I'm your host Krabs, lifelong Miami Dolphins fan, host of Locked on Dolphins, co-host of Locked on NFL scouting, author of Touchdown, Miami on Substack, NFL staff, writer for a toz sports. Want to give a special welcome and shout out to our everydayers because it is your team every day here on the locked on network. Today on the show, Devon Achan got the bag last night on a 4-year contract extension that he and the Dolphins agreed to terms on. That makes him one of the league's highest paid running backs. And of course, you have to play the game within the game.

[00:00:59]When these contracts get announced, there's all kinds of technicalities and loopholes for what you report to make it sound as sexy as possible to grab the headline, right? That's part of the deal with NFL contract reporting. And we've already kind of seen some cracks as far as uh the base value of this contract versus the maximum value of this contract. Where are the talking points that put this as a win for Han and his camp? And and he's represented by Rock Nation. Uh where are the talking points that have this as a win for the Dolphins?

[00:01:36]This contract came out last night. Um and I gave it a little bit of time before doing the show. I did the the YouTube short immediately after the news dropped and and I know everybody was like, "Oh god, hop on an emergency podcast." But uh wanted to give it a little bit of space to kind of collect my thoughts, collect the numbers, and sort through some of the noise.

[00:01:57]Let's start first and foremost with this. The Dolphins put their money where their mouth is.

[00:02:02]This is just the latest example of executive John Eric Sullivan telling us at the forefront of this off season what they were going to do and they have followed through on just about every talking point. There's been some exceptions, right? They addressed quarterback. They didn't draft a quarterback, but they did add a quarterback to the room. Their quarterback competition is probably going to be more of a long-term scope as compared to an immediately happening in 2026 perspective.

[00:02:38]But he said they were going to get themselves in a healthy cap situation.

[00:02:41]They're going to haveund plus million dollars in cap space in 2027. They said we're going to build the infrastructure of the team. We're going to build through the draft. They moved on from some older players, maximized their draft picks. They had the second highest volume of draft picks they've ever had in the seven round draft class in franchise history.

[00:03:01]He talked about if we're going to spend in free agency, we're going to spend on splashes, right? And and we're going to spend on guys that we think could be difference makers in free agency. That's Malik Willis. We're not going to spend to act busy. He's told us that they are not going to be focused on a bunch of splash signings once the Bradley Chub money hits. But he has told us there's a number of building blocks and cornerstone players on the roster that the team is making a priority. And Devon Han in particular, he told us before the draft is not available for trade and it's a priority for the team to work out a contract extension with him. It's done. They did it. So Jordan Schultz was the first to report this last night. uh and his reporting had this as a 4-year contract valued at $68 million in total value. That ends up that turns out to be the max value of the contract. And we saw that very quickly from um ESPN and NFL Network. I know Marcel Luis Jacques had a a great report on it with the team source that the the base value of this contract is $64 million across four seasons which is an average of $16 million per season.

[00:04:16]Then you have the $4 million in incentive stacked on top of that to add the additional million in potential earnings on an annual basis.

[00:04:26]Whether you measure it at 17 or 16, it is the third highest annual average salary for an NFL running back in the active NFL.

[00:04:39]Here's one thing to know uh because this is an extension. This does not include the 2026 season. So Devon was due 5.767.

[00:04:52]sorry, $5.767 million in cash this year. A large portion of that, over $4.5 million of that he has already received.

[00:05:03]And when he received that lump sum, that was kind of the first clue of like all this trade speculation and are they really going to hang on to him or are they going to trade him?

[00:05:13]when the Dolphins paid cash up front for salary cap compliance in the spring.

[00:05:19]That was kind of the first clue that we may be seeing this this come into place because this is not a team that's in the business right now of paying cash for players to leave. They have enough debt from past cash that they've paid players that they either told last year or this year to leave.

[00:05:43]And sure enough, here's Devon Chan. So, you have to stack this almost $6 million on top of the 4year for 64 base value that Devon Achan is getting now. So, it's it's five years in reality. It's 5 years 69.767 million is his total commitment to the Miami Dolphins. And this year, obviously, that some of that money has already been paid out, so it's beyond being guaranteed.

[00:06:14]It's it's done. Uh, and then he has $32 million in total guarantees otherwise uh with this new influx in this new contract that he has signed with Dolphins. So, the Dolphins keep their their splashiest, most explosive, needlemoving player on the roster is locked in along with an offensive line that has some investment pieces and a quarterback with a totally different skill set that you're hoping you could set the identity of your offense to and a tight end room that I think has a chance to be impactful if Greg Doulich is able to stay healthy and if Will Casmar is as good of a player as as a blocker as they seem to think that he is uh coming into the league.

[00:06:57]You've got a compelling core, right?

[00:06:59]Your perimeter play is going to be a question, but Achan is going to get a chance to see this through uh throughout this transitional year in 26 and then hopefully the team will be robust around him and him and Malik Willis can uh take advantage of of whatever opportunities they are afforded this year and beyond. But he has long-term security. He is one of the highest paid running backs in football.

[00:07:28]He has one of the highest guaranteed totals of running backs in football. Uh we can get into kind of the reporting of it and how it was framed as a win for both sides. We'll do that on the other side of the break. Make sure you guys stick with us here on Locked on Dolphins.

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[00:09:56]So, to start with the uh Jordan Schultz reporting of this deal because I think that's uh that's a good informative place to start as far as the framing.

[00:10:06]any anybody who gets the scoop first, just know they're getting the best framing of one side of the fence or another.

[00:10:18]Devon Chan and Dolphins and Pro Bowl running back Devon Chan have agreed on a four-year extension worth $68 million, making him the NFL's third highest paid running back at $17 million per year with $32 million guaranteed per multiple sources.

[00:10:31]The APY, the annual per year and guarantees are the most ever for a running back coming off rookie contracts and a deal negotiated by Leah Knight of Rock Nation Sports. Okay, so there's your framing for Han, Leah, Rock Nation, that that whole side of the fence.

[00:10:53]guy coming off a rookie contract has never gotten dollars and annual average and guarantees equal to what Devon Ach got. And from a guarantees perspective, Devon Achan, he got 30 $32 million guaranteed.

[00:11:09]There's three running backs in the NFL who have a higher guaranteed amount than Devon Chan. That includes two running backs who were top 10 draft picks, top six draft picks the last two years. And Ashton Genty, who is $35.8 $.8 million in guarantees because it's a fullear full four-year fully guaranteed contract. Jeremiah Love, who was drafted in the top five this year, gets $53 million fully guaranteed.

[00:11:32]But as a second contract player, it's Saquon Barkley at 36.

[00:11:38]So for a non-ookie contract, which is four years fully guaranteed, but the Han contract is uniquely comparable because it's also a four-year deal.

[00:11:50]Saquon Barkley got $36 million guaranteed on a two-year $41.2 million contract. So Barkley still kind of is a standalone player, but Ashton Genty signed a four-year deal as a rookie as the sixth overall pick back in 2025 and he got $35.89 million in guarantees. Devon Achan comes in at 32. He's the only other non rookie co running contract running back over $30 million because Bree Hall came in at 29.

[00:12:25]From a total value perspective, this is another area where the Han contract is a win for Han and his camp. Now, it's because they have an extra year on the deal, right?

[00:12:39]where a lot of your other 40 four-year contracts, the Travis Hanss of the world and the the Josh Jacobses of the world, like Josh Jacobs 4-year, $48 million contract. That's 12 million per.

[00:12:57]Achan gets 16 across the same amount of time. It's 16 million more dollars in total value. It surpasses even Jeremiah Love's contract this year by a significant amount.

[00:13:12]And I don't know that the two guys that are kind of waiting in line, uh, the Jir Gibbs' and the Bjon Robinsons, I don't know that they're going to get four-year deals because they have a fifth year option tagged onto their contracts as well.

[00:13:26]So they might get they might go north of 20 21 million on an annual average basis, but because they have this year as their fourth year and then they also have fifth year options that are tagged onto these as well. I don't know that they're going to get more in total. Like they could sign for three years 21 and it's 63 and it's less total value than Devon Chan. Like this is probably going to be a bargaining chip for those guys in their their negotiations. Say, well, we want the highest total value contract for a running back in the NFL. Devon Chan has it right now at 64.

[00:13:59]You don't count the incentives as far as base value of the contract, but it is notable that there is earnings potential to go up to potentially 68 million.

[00:14:10]But the number one way to measure this contract I think is this.

[00:14:17]The annual average as a percentage of the cap is the most informative way in my opinion to measure contract values because it's what is that year's cap?

[00:14:33]What is the annual average? So for HN you could call it 17 if you want. You can call it 16 if you want.

[00:14:40]That annual average divided by that year's cap. So, it's what percent of this year's salary cap did you just commit on a multi-year basis with this player's new contract. That's how you measure the size and commitment of a contract relative to inflation of the salary cap. And I have the numbers right here. I wrote this for a sports last night.

[00:15:02]The salary cap this year is $31.2 million. Last year it was 279. In 2024 it was 255 million. In 2023 it was 224.

[00:15:13]It was 28 million. In 20 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026. Not a math guy.

[00:15:21]It's 5 years. The salary cap has gone up nearly hund00 million in 5 years from 208 to 301.

[00:15:31]So, a contract that's signed at a value of $15 million per season back in 2022 is not the same thing as a contract that's signed in 2026 for $15 million because the salary cap, yes, the the raw numbers are equal, but the salary cap is 50% higher this year than it was five years ago.

[00:15:57]Right? So, that's how you quantify a a a contract relative to the growth of the cap.

[00:16:05]Here's where the win comes for the Dolphins. First of all, I think that the the annual average being 16 at the base, I would have thought it would have been higher, especially if you were going to strike the next contract.

[00:16:18]Turns out they just needed the Bree Hall contract to use as a a catapult to get a contract done.

[00:16:23]Probably not that simple, but it worked out that way.

[00:16:29]I think getting four years for the Dolphins is a win because the Dolphins now have the extra year of player control regardless of whether or not there are guarantees.

[00:16:41]They have the control for an extra year on a player and Devon who you have this year plus four more that puts him through his prime as a player.

[00:16:53]you know, if he plays the next five seasons in Miami, hypothetically, you're talking about going into his age 30 season when he's on his next contract, and we know how the age of 30 treats a lot of running backs.

[00:17:09]So, I think for Miami to to not have to do the three-year deal, which I think probably would have been more beneficial to Achan to try to get another bite in another contract before he hits that kind of up against that age 30 wall.

[00:17:23]That's a win for Miami.

[00:17:26]But the annual average as a percentage of cap, this is the biggest win for the Dolphins because $16 million, which is the base value, not including the incentives, and the general rule of thumb is you don't include the incentives because anything can happen, right? It's not it's not written into your regularly scheduled programming for compensation.

[00:17:51]$16 million as a percentage of $31.2 million salary cap is 5.31% of this year's cap is the annual average ratio that ranks fifth highest amongst NFL running backs right now. Christian McAffrey and Saquon Barkley were 7.4% approximately a piece. McAffrey signed in 24, Saquon signed in 25.

[00:18:14]Jonathan Taylor 6.23% as a percentage of cap. He signed in 2023.

[00:18:20]Derrick Henry 5.37% of the cap from 2025 when he signed his contract extension as well. Han is next in line at 5.31.

[00:18:31]So it's the fifth highest annual average as a percentage of cap.

[00:18:37]Spoiler alert.

[00:18:41]Jean Robinson and Jamir Gibbs will probably get contract extensions done this year and they will probably surpass Devon Achans which means Achan before he steps on the field to play his first game after signing this contract will be outside the top six in the NFL as an annual average as a percentage of cap.

[00:19:04]that value relative to the growth rate and inflation, the salary cap is a win for the Dolphins. That's well done. And that was why the big argument for me was well maybe he ends up getting $1819 million because if you convert just say 6%.

[00:19:26]301.2 million by 6% that's 18.

[00:19:33]That still would have been fourth on the list. That would have even topped Jonathan Taylor. Like if they're successfully getting down at the negotiating table and talking about getting in front of Jonathan Taylor at 6.23, I'll do it again. I don't care. I'll get the calculator out. I have no shame. I'm not gifted like that. 1.2 times. 020624.

[00:19:57]That's $8.8 million a season annual average. if you wanted this stat to get out in front of Jonathan Taylor put you in the top three.

[00:20:07]So, Miami getting it done. Getting it done before Bjan Robinson. Getting it done before Jamir Gibbs. Getting it done in a price range that checks in lower than where I think the negotiations could have gone. But your concessions come in total value uh and guarantees at 32. That's a sizable number.

[00:20:30]There's wins for both sides here, but I'm very happy with where the ultimate dollar shake out for Miami, especially as a running back for a team that's going through a transition in your questions here. I know some folks have some questions about like how are we signing this? What does that look like?

[00:20:45]We'll get into that on the other side of the break. So, make sure you guys stick with us.

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[00:21:34]Needless to say, I don't think Hchan's going to be sweating about the uh uh the the Netflix or the the Disney Plus or the the Pandora subscription that he forgot about for a little while uh after getting this 4-year $64 million contract extension agreed to terms with the Dolphins. Of course, pen has to go to paper. That's worth acknowledging. Uh the Dolphins have to sign this.

[00:22:02]The question I'm sure a lot of folks have is how are they going to do that?

[00:22:07]The Dolphins up against the salary cap have less than $2 million in cap space.

[00:22:13]I'll actually consult in real time. I didn't think to pull this up ahead of time, the annual public salary cap report, courtesy of the NFL Players Association, which gives you uh kind of your snapshot of exactly what each team has on a day-by-day basis. They update it every single day.

[00:22:37]loading. The Dolphins right now, according to the NFLPA, have 2.867 million in cap space.

[00:22:51]Devon Achan currently carries a salary cap charge for the Dolphins of $2.3 million.

[00:23:00]He's already received upfront uh 4.67 $67 million in cash this season.

[00:23:08]Then he currently is scheduled for minimum salary as the base salary. So he's already received his portion when he restructured his salary to help the Dolphins create more salary cap space when they were in March.

[00:23:23]The Dolphins could in theory just say, "Hey, Devon, we're going to pay you uh 16 or 15 and change this year." They could very easily say that because right now he's scheduled before the contract extension to get 5.7.

[00:23:41]They could just take a $10 million signing bonus, have him put pen to paper. You could spread a $10 million signing bonus out across five years of the salary cap in equal installments of $2 million of debt for this year 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030.

[00:23:55]And at that point, you're not adding any additional um void years or dead money on the contract. Right? So you can spread it out that way if you want. And if that is ultimately what they choose to do, they can do that and still be salary cap compliant with no questions asked. They would go from 2.8 according to the NFLPA to $800,000 in cap space. Now, if Han's going to get more of it upfront, first of all, I'd be surprised if that's the case.

[00:24:26]But if it were to happen that way, they do have the lever that they can pull courtesy of uh Jordan Brooks. They could do a salary conversion for Jordan Brooks. And really, at this point, you only need to survive two more weeks until June 1st comes rolling around. And then you get $20 million in cash space from Bradley Chub.

[00:24:51]I can tell you right now if they chose to just give him a $10 million signing bonus and stack it on top of the money that he got back in March and his minimum salary for base salary this year, it would make him the third highest paid player in third highest paid running back in football from a cash perspective this year behind only Jeremiah Love who gets almost $36 million because of the signing bonus that comes with his rookie contract and Saquon Barkley at 16.75.

[00:25:18]He would be a 15.7 and change. Kenneth Walker would be next highest on the list. Uh 14.35.

[00:25:30]So they can stack this on no questions asked according to the NFL PA and their public salary cap report which has the Dolphins reflected as having 90 players on the roster which is up to date based off our current understanding and Levian Moss the running back from Texas A&M retiring on Tuesday.

[00:25:50]We're ready, Rock and Roll. Now, the signing bonus is heavier than that.

[00:25:54]Yeah, you you probably move around a little money in Jordan Brooks. Or maybe you just extend Jordan Brooks.

[00:26:01]And I think that is something that I note on the heels of this news.

[00:26:10]There was a post that was put out by Jeremy Fowler that I can't help but notice was my final thought today.

[00:26:20]Uh he quote tweets the Adam Shhater news of the Han extension says despite facing a clear rebuild, Dolphins considered Han a building block. Now he's a Dolphin long term and then quote tweeted his own post and said Dolphins linebacker Jordan Brooks is a name to watch. Like Han, he's garnered trade interest but Miami values him. He's a free agent after 2026.

[00:26:41]Sir, you usually don't put that kind of post out there unless maybe there's a chance this gets done sooner rather than later.

[00:26:52]I don't know.

[00:26:54]So, we'll see.

[00:26:57]That is going to do it for us here on Locked on Dolphins. Head on a swivel.

[00:27:01]They might need to do something to get it compliant for the Han signing. They might not.

[00:27:06]We'll find out either way. But that's going to do it for us here on the show.

[00:27:09]Kyle Krabs, keep it locked in on Locked on Dolphins. It is your team every day.

[00:27:13]Appreciate you guys as always for checking out the show. I'll be back to talk to you all again tomorrow. Fins up.