The Dolphins walked into training camp looking steady on offense. HC Mike McDaniel had reason enough to believe that the OL could hold up around QB Tua Tagovailoa this year. When training camp began, McDaniel had a reliable running back in De’Von Achane and enough backup depth behind him. Dolphins’ RB Jalen Wright even declared last month, “We’re going to show them all year… there’s a lot of people talking down on the Dolphins, but we’re going to show everybody this year.” At that time, he had every reason to be confident. But fast-forward to now, and things look much different. 

During the joint practice with the Jaguars in Miami Gardens, Mike McDaniel’s roster plans took a major hit. Jaylen Wright, LB Jordyn Brooks, and WR AJ Henning – all left the field due to injuries with unknown details. Wright, in particular, limped into the Baptist Health facility with what looked like a lower-body issue. He was supposed to meet reporters, but the injury changed those plans. So, where does this leave Miami? According to the latest rumors, the Dolphins’ running back depth has become paper-thin. 

De’Von Achane has been nursing a calf injury. Meanwhile, Alexander Mattison is gone for the season. Now Wright joins the list. Doesn’t that sound like the exact nightmare Mike McDaniel wanted to avoid in August? And this turn of events would especially impact Wright. Why? The RB hasn’t exactly taken advantage of his chances. In two preseason games, he played nearly 50 snaps but gained only 19 yards on 12 carries. Yes, he scored once, but the lack of impact was clear. If he misses practice for an extended time, it opens up a roster spot in the RB position. 

So, when Jaylen Wright comes back after recovery, he could fall to the third-string position in McDaniel’s roster. And that’s the frustrating part. Wright has blazing 4.38 speed (that he showed during the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine), yet he never found consistency. Last season, he totaled only 249 yards on 68 carries, playing major snaps in just 3 games. Isn’t that the kind of production that makes coaches look elsewhere? So, that’s where rookie WR Ollie Gordon II Jr factors into McDaniel’s roster plans now. 

The 6’2”, 225-pound sixth-rounder was originally listed as 4th on the RB depth chart in Miami. But injuries could now put Ollie Gordon under the spotlight and up the depth chart. In two preseason games, he ran 18 times for 83 yards and a touchdown, adding three catches for 48 more yards. At joint practices with the Jaguars, he broke arm tackles, lowered his pads, and even trucked a defender. That’s the kind of tone-setting running the Dolphins badly need. But Gordon himself knows it’s about more than flashy runs that his team needs from him. 

The rookie running back said recently, “At the end of the day, I’m just doing what’s best for the team… Special teams, anything… I’m here for it.” That’s exactly the kind of attitude Mike McDaniel might be looking for. All Ollie Gordon needs to do is hold onto the ball, gain the tough yards, and keep Tua Tagovailoa upright. But also, possibly, fill a hole in Miami’s roster that his team might not have even known they had until recently. 

Mike McDaniel faces a full-blown crisis in the RB room at Miami

Recently, injuries have hit the same running back position in Miami at the worst possible time. First: Alexander Mattison went down for the season with a neck injury. Second: De’Von Achane’s calf kept him out of practice even off the field in the preseason game against the Lions. Third: Jaylen Wright is now set to miss time and practice reps with an injury. That leaves the Dolphins with just three options for Mike McDaniel to consider. 

Ollie Gordon Jr., Mike Boone, and Aaron Shampklin are now the only healthy running backs on the roster. But the last two were signed recently and aren’t exactly proven playmakers. Is that enough firepower for a team with playoff ambitions? Mike McDaniel insists it can still work. He believes in spreading the ball around to keep defenses guessing. “Dispersion of the football is the most powerful weapon you can use,” the head coach said recently. “We want teams not to know how we’ll attack them.” That sounds good on paper. But let’s be honest – at some point, the Dolphins need reliable running backs to grind out games.

To his credit, Mike McDaniel hasn’t panicked as he further added that the growth he has seen in camp is exactly where it should be. “The key is that it can’t flatline,” he said. “That’s what makes this game hard, particularly for young players.” So, if Ollie Gordon keeps improving, he could turn this crisis into an opportunity. But if he falters, though, Miami could be forced into trades or waiver claims so close to Week 1. Still, if the Dolphins go by McDaniel’s playbook to keep defenses guessing, maybe they can survive until the injured running backs return to the field.