Former Tennessee Vols running back Jaylen Wright is entering his third season with the Miami Dolphins.

Wright, who played at Tennessee from 2021 to 2023, was selected by the Dolphins in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

The North Carolina native has rushed for 537 yards and two touchdowns over his first two seasons in the NFL while playing in a backup role in Miami.

Latest Dolphins news is not a good sign for Jaylen Wright’s future in Miami

Miami signed starting running back De’Von Achane to a four-year extension worth $64 million on Wednesday (which makes Achane the third highest paid running back in the NFL).

The move obviously confirms the Dolphins are committed to Achane, who turns 25 in October, as their starting running back for the foreseeable future after there were rumblings during the offseason that he could be traded.

And that means that Wright, who turned 23 last month, is essentially locked into a backup role for the final two seasons of his rookie contract. Miami also has Ollie Gordon on the roster (Gordon, 22, was a rookie last season).

The good news for Wright, who has been moderately productive while playing in a backup role for the Dolphins, will be a month away from turning 25 when he hits free agency in two years. He’ll have youth on his side as he looks for a free agency opportunity.

The not good news for Wright is that, barring injury, he won’t have starting running back film to share with NFL teams.

Maybe Wright plays well and forces the Dolphins to utilize a running back by committee approach. We’ll see how it plays out for Wright and the Dolphins over the next two seasons, but there’s no doubt that it’ll be an uphill battle for the former Vol after Achane got paid big-time RB1 money.