Did Ollie Gordon II do enough to be the Dolphins’ backup running back?
The NFL national audience learned Thursday night just what the local media had known since training camp.
Ollie Gordon II deserves more touches.
Despite the Miami Dolphins’ 31-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Gordon made the most of his nine carries, garnering 38 yards and a touchdown. And despite Jaylen Wright’s health no longer an issue, it’s clear that the rookie might have supplanted the second-year tailback on the depth chart.
“I think Ollie was able to contribute to the game last night, and that can tip the scales or it may not,” McDaniel said Friday, adding that he has “firm belief” in both players. “Because what that does is that puts competitive pressure with Jaylen Wright to be on his stuff, and I’m sure his game is going to rise. If Ollie doesn’t continue to make steps forward, you can adjust, but right now, I was happy with what Ollie did, and I do plan on incorporating Jaylen.”
The particularly promising part of Gordon’s performance came during short-yardage situations, an area in which the Dolphins have recently struggled. Gordon not only scored on a 2-yard rush up the middle during the opening drive, but had four first-down rushes through the game. The Dolphins, as a result, converted a rather impressive 67% – 10 of 15 – of their third downs.
“It felt really good honestly just to show my teammates, my coaches that they can trust me whenever we’re in the heat of the moment and when stuff gets serious,” Gordon said Thursday night, later calling the team’s third-down success a byproduct of “all the work that we do in practice.”
“We special in those,” Gordon continued, “We look at those heavy.”
Gordon gives the Dolphins something that they haven’t had since Ronnie Brown: a big, bruiser-type running back who can run through contact. McDaniel admitted to wanting to go out and punch the Bills in the mouth on the opening drive — “There are times that it makes the most sense to take the ball and start the game with momentum,” he said — and knew Gordon would be the one to do it.
“They put a lot of attention on and pretty much doubled Tyreek [Hill] and Jaylen [Waddle] all game, so you have to have some people to step up and inflict their will,” McDaniel said. “I thought Ollie did a really good job. It’s kind of what I expected; he’s really worked hard at being able to be out there by knowing his assignments and all his off-ball stuff. I think it was an effort to get numerous players involved, and I think they took advantage of that, and it was why we were able to have success on that drive.”
A 2025 sixth-round pick out of Oklahoma State, Gordon arrived in Miami fresh off a disappointing end to a college career that seemed very promising after he won the Doak Walker Award, which honors the best college running back, as a sophomore in 2023. Initially, Gordon was to slide in behind De’Von Achane, Wright and free agent signee Alexander Mattison as fourth on the depth chart.
Then the injury bug bit. A calf ailment led to Achane’s absence from mid-August until early September. Mattison sustained a season-ending neck injury in the preseason game against the Detroit Lions. The following week, Wright got news that he would need a minor surgery on his knee after he hurt himself during joint practices with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Gordon took advantage of his increased opportunity, turning in an eight-carry, 43-yard performance in the preseason finale against the Jaguars that earned him praise from his teammates.
“It was really cool to see him step up in that last preseason game, running the ball fast, no hesitation, picking his spots, trusting it,” fullback Alec Ingold said in late August. Pass pro was outstanding for him, getting him split out. So to be able to see that — I know he’s got the personality, he’s got a big smile and loves to have fun — and to see that come to life on the game field, you know the moment’s not too big for him.”
As the Dolphins continue to look for ways to keep Achane fresh, McDaniel will have some tough decisions to make. Competition, he maintained, might be good for the entire running back room.
“Certainly Ollie’s play last night ensures to me that the next game will have a highly productive, not just Running Back 1 but Running Back 2, because regardless, I don’t care who is the guy,” McDaniel said. “I want the cream to rise to the top, and I want them to constantly be in competition, and that will be an ever-evolving thing as we go through the season, so the guys have to be on their stuff, and I think that’s a good thing for all Dolphins.”
This story was originally published September 19, 2025 at 2:39 PM.
