How Jaylen Wright Is Preparing For a Potential Make-Or-Break Season In Miami

The number of returning playmakers on Miami’s offense is low, but the running back room features a few veteran names to choose from, including Jaylen Wright.

Wright spoke on WNML’s SportsTalk and laid out how he’s preparing for an important 2026 season, his third year in the NFL. In an offense full of uncertainty, expectations are still high for the unit that he’s been a part of since he was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 draft.

While Wright has mainly served a backup role in the NFL, he feels he can do more. A lot more.

“I definitely have specific goals,” Wright said during a radio interview with WNML out of Knoxville, Tennessee. “I know my potential, I know my talent. I know I have a chance to be a top back in this league. My goal is to be able to contribute at a high level, be depended on, relied on, and just make the most of every opportunity.”

Those are pretty lofty goals for a running back coming off an uneven 2025 performance.

Plain and simple, a healthy De’Von Achane will be RB1, so it’ll be a battle between him and Ollie Gordon II as far as who’s the main backup. Regardless, Wright believes he has what it takes to make an impact on this team whenever and wherever he’s asked to do so.

Cool, Calm And Collected

Wright kept it simple about what he was focusing on during OTAs, improving his game, both physically and mentally.

“The offseason has been good,” Wright said. “I’m trying to perfect my craft, study the playbook, and just make the most of the opportunities I get, the reps I get within practice, and just taking it day by day. And not just football, but the mental aspect of football. Just the things that you could go through, the things that you can control.”

Wright has done what he can here in Miami, recording 537 yards and two touchdowns off 138 carries. In the running back room, he’s sandwiched between Achane, the main go-to back for all scenarios, and Gordon, a notably bigger back who looks to be the answer for short-yardage and goal-line plays.

The Name Of The Game Is Speed

Something that Wright has is speed. We knew this when he ran a 4.38 at the 2024 combine, but it might stand out more this season with fellow speedsters like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle no longer on the team.

“I’m a 23 (miles per hour) type of guy,” Wright said. “When I hit that 60-yard mark, I’m gonna hit 23 miles per hour. There are a lot of fast guys on the team… definitely not how it used to be, with Tyreek Hill being gone, Jaylen Waddle being gone. This is not how it used to be, but we still have a couple of other fast guys with us.”

If there was a game in 2025 that highlighted this, it was Miami’s 34-10 win over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. With Achane injured, Wright made the most out of an increased workload, recording 107 yards and a touchdown while showcasing his agility at the line of scrimmage.

Making An Impact On Kickoffs?

When he’s not lined up at running back, Wright believes he can make a difference as a kick returner. This isn’t something he’s known for, having only a single return back in 2024. However, with the aforementioned speed and ability to break tackles, it could make sense to give him another try.

“We know we got a great returner in Malik Washington,” Wright said. “He’s a great returner, but I feel like we could use more than one. Of course, Malik is the featured returner, but I’m right behind him. So whenever the opportunity comes, I’m ready for it and ready to seize that moment.”