A former local star headlines players the Miami Dolphins are kicking the tires on after De’Von Achane’s injury
The Miami Dolphins hosted a familiar face for South Florida football fans as they try to finalize their plans without RB De’Von Achane.
The Miami Dolphins are in the midst of an unenviable situation. They’re trying to pick up the pieces amid a season-ending injury to perhaps their best player. Star running back De’Von Achane’s season is over. The Dolphins have 14 games left to play this fall without him.
As a part of their evolving pivot, the Dolphins hosted several running backs at the team facility for a workout on Tuesday. It was a part of a collection of a dozen names — with a former Miami Hurricanes star among those in attendance.
Former Miami Hurricanes running back Damien Martinez among Miami Dolphins’ running back workouts on Tuesday
Former Miami Hurricanes running back Damien Martinez only played one season in South Florida — but it was one to remember. Martinez, after transferring in from Oregon State ahead of the 2024 college season, ran for 1,002 yards and 10 touchdowns for Mario Cristobal’s 10-3 team.
The transition to the NFL has been anything but easy for Martinez, who left for the 2025 NFL Draft and nearly went undrafted despite the quality film he put on display for the Canes. He was eventually drafted 223rd overall by the Seattle Seahawks but failed to make the final roster. He latched on with the Green Bay Packers (and current Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan) approximately two weeks before Sullivan took the Dolphins gig.
As of right now, there’s no signing to the running back room. It’s hard to say what to make of that. Perhaps Miami will roll with their practice squad runners and simply choose to elevate someone for a few weeks before making a more formal decision. Perhaps they didn’t like what they saw from Martinez and the rest of the running backs and are hunting elsewhere. But it’d be quite fitting for Martinez to get a shot. He started his college career in the Pacific Northwest before heading to the opposite end of the country. The pro career started in the same region of the country, too. So naturally the next step being back to South Florida could perhaps be just what Martinez needs to jumpstart his pro career. If, of course, the Dolphins make the offer.
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