Dolphins sign RT Austin Jackson to three-year, $36 million extension.
Jackson’s signing to a contract extension through the 2026 season was later confirmed by Miami. Both parties benefit from the deal. As a non-traditional blindside blocker on the right side of the line for the left-handed Tua Tagovailoa, Jackson is having a career year.
According to Pro Football Focus, he received the best overall grade of his career (67.3), which included a pass-blocking grade that nearly reached 70. With five games remaining in the season, he has contributed to the Dolphins’ run to a 9-3 record and a commanding three-game lead in the AFC East by keeping Tagovailoa upright throughout, despite his documented history of injury issues.
Furthermore, he doesn’t get paid like a top tackle. According to Over The Cap, Jackson’s $12 million annual average ranks him 11th among right tackles and 28th overall among tackles. He is positioned between Atlanta’s Kaleb McGary ($11.5 million) and Cleveland’s Jack Conklin ($15 million), respectively.
However, this raise nearly quadrupled Jackson’s $3.41 million annual salary. And by signing this deal, he not only guarantees his future in Miami but also gets checked off the Dolphins’ roster-management wish list before 2024.
Jackson has demonstrated that the ankle injury that kept him from playing more than 100 snaps in 2022 would not be an issue in 2023, which is a major factor in his well-earned raise. He’s actually returned stronger than before, and since being available is a highly valued skill, he deserves the raise.
Only 17 sacks of Tagovailoa this season have been made possible by Jackson’s offensive line. Just two of those sacks have come from him, which is a noteworthy accomplishment for a tackle whose job it is to prevent rushers from getting up on Tagovailoa from behind. Tagovailoa is having a career year, completing a single-season high 70.1 percent of his passes for 3,457 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
This is because he has been kept upright and healthy. As the leader of an offense that leads the NFL in passing yards per game, total yards per game (by a margin of nearly 28 more yards per game than the next closest team, Detroit), rushing yards per game, and points scored per contest, he will undoubtedly receive some votes for Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player if he finishes 2023 healthy.
Jackson has contributed significantly to Miami’s outstanding season, as have the other four starting linemen. Miami is compensating him appropriately by securing a vital defender before he has a chance to explore his free agency in March.