On Sunday, the Miami Dolphins earned their first win of the season as they defeated the New York Jets 28-25 at MetLife Stadium.
Miami’s rushing attack had another strong game, as the team finished with 154 rushing yards. Over the past three games, Miami is averaging 153 rushing yards. That figure would rank second-best in the NFL this season, which is something the Dolphins may have envisioned with Pro Bowl running back De’Von Achane in the lineup.
Surprisingly, Miami has had its best rushing performances of the season after De’Von Achane went down. While Miami’s depth has begun getting tested, the team has rallied and proved to be a more than capable rushing offense in Achane’s absence. Now, the team may be without another running back.
Miami Dolphins Announce Running Back Injury
The Miami Dolphins posted on X during the game against the Jets: “Injury Update | Jaylen Wright has a quad injury and is questionable to return.”
Wright did not return after the injury late in the fourth quarter. He finished the game with six carries for only 8 yards. Wright also handled return duties as he had 131 total yards on five returns.
Wright was originally listed as the team’s backup to De’Von Achane; however, he has since been surpassed by Ollie Gordon on the team’s depth chart.
While Miami planned on having both Gordon and Wright heavily involved, Gordon’s success and Wright’s struggles have resulted in a clear lead running back on the team. Gordon was on the field for 83% of the team’s offensive snaps, while Wright only saw the field in 12% of the snaps.
After the game, Wright was named as a “dud” by Dolphins Wire’s Mike Masala. Masala wrote: “While Gordon has stepped up, Wright hasn’t been as good as a runner. With all of the success that Gordon found against the Jets, they shut Wright down, as he finished with just eight yards on six carries. He provides something in the return game when he fields the ball cleanly, but he’s been a net negative as a runner this season.”
Dolphins Running Backs
Meanwhile, Gordon was listed as a “stud.” Regarding Gordon, Masala wrote: “When De’Von Achane suffered a torn ACL earlier this year, it was clear Miami needed someone to separate themselves in the backfield, and Gordon has done just that. On Sunday, he rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown on 4.1 yards per attempt. He’s now up to 339 yards and four touchdowns on 4.7 yards per carry this year, which are career highs in all three stats.”
Gordon was originally viewed as a top running back prospect, but a down 2024 season resulted in him falling in the 2025 NFL Draft. Miami ended up drafting Gordon, who won the Doak Walker Award for best running back in college football in 2023, with their sixth-round pick.
As a rookie, Gordon primarily was utilized in short-yardage situations. During Achane’s absences in 2025, Wright handled more of the load. However, Gordon is appearing to be a late-round gem, who is in the middle of a breakout sophomore season.
Dolphins Running Back Suffers Injury in Win Over Jets