After missing most of the 2022 season, Austin Jackson has been a key part of the Dolphins’ offensive surge this year. The team chose not to pick up his fifth-year option, but they have seen enough to offer him an extension.
The Dolphins and Jackson have agreed on a three-year deal, as reported by NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. The extension is worth $36MM in base value and includes $20.7MM guaranteed. Despite being months away from free agency, Jackson has secured a lucrative contract now.
This marks a significant turnaround for the 2020 first-round pick. Jackson missed 15 games last season, playing only 84 snaps. An ankle injury in Week 1 derailed Jackson’s first season at right tackle, and a comeback attempt led to a season-ending IR stint. A year later, Jackson has been a consistent presence on an injury-plagued offensive line.
As the only right tackle protecting a quarterback’s blindside this season, Jackson has played in all 12 Dolphins games. This season has also brought rare continuity for a player who was once identified as the team’s post-Laremy Tunsil left tackle. Miami traded Tunsil to Houston in August 2019, as it shed talent during a rebuild. Jackson, however, moved from left tackle to guard to right tackle during his first three seasons, never settling at one spot. This offseason gave him the first opportunity to play the same position in consecutive years.
Pro Football Focus ranks Jackson 36th among tackles this season, but his availability has been crucial for a Dolphins O-line that has seen every other starter miss time. Big-ticket UFA addition Terron Armstead has battled injuries, while left guard Isaiah Wynn is out for the season. Connor Williams, who pursued a new deal this offseason, has missed multiple games. Right guard Robert Hunt, who is also a candidate for an extension, has dealt with a hamstring injury. Despite the Dolphins passing on his $14.18MM fifth-year option due to Jackson’s ankle issue and past positional changes, he has now secured an upper-echelon RT deal seven months later.
While this is not a top-tier RT agreement, it is still significant. The Texans gave 2019 first-rounder Tytus Howard a more lucrative three-year deal this summer; that pact checked in at $18.7MM per year, putting Howard in the top five at the position. Jackson’s deal is considered a team-friendly contract. The AAV puts the 24-year-old blocker 11th among right tackles. Instead of waiting to bet on himself and maximize his leverage next year, Jackson has chosen to secure favorable terms with the Dolphins now.
Adding intrigue to Jackson’s decision, two right tackles — Jawaan Taylor and Mike McGlinchey — signed deals north of $17.5MM per year as free agents this offseason. Jackson’s deal, however, exceeds the contract the Falcons gave Kaleb McGary (three years, $34.5MM) on the market. Given Jackson’s lack of a multiyear track record of quality play, this could be seen as a reasonable compromise for both the team and the player.
More to come.
