Examining Austin Jackson's Importance to the Miami Dolphins

Entering his seventh season, offensive tackle Austin Jackson is one of the longest-tenured Miami Dolphins. The team jettisoned almost all of their key veterans this offseason, leaving Jackson as the most experienced offensive player on the team.

2026 is a crucial year for Jackson, who comes into the season with one year left on his contract after he agreed to a pay cut in the offseason with durability questions that persist.

After playing 16 games in 2023, the former USC Trojans star has only appeared in 14 games over the last two seasons. If he’s going to receive a major payday (from the Dolphins or otherwise) next off-season, that must change.

“I feel great. I feel fast, feel strong, feel healthy,” Jackson said Wednesday regarding the toe injury that caused him to miss 11 games last year.

WHAT JACKSON MEANS TO THE DOLPHINS OFFENSE

A healthy version of Jackson has elevated Miami’s run game substantially over the last few years. In 2023, Miami’s most productive season under Mike McDaniel, Jackson only missed one game. The numbers over the last two seasons are better when he’s on the field as well.

In 2024, Miami averaged 4.4 rushing yards per attempt with Jackson in the lineup, vs. 3.5 when he was inactive. 2025 was a similar story, as the Dolphins averaged 5.1 yards per carry with Jackson, as compared to 4.5 without him.

With Miami fully embracing a younger roster, however, Jackson’s role is no longer to simply remain on the field, but potentially lead a group headlined by 2024 second-round pick Jonah Savaiinaea and 2025 first-round pick Kadyn Proctor.

Jackson shares one piece of developmental history with each of these players in that he changed positions entering the NFL, playing primarily left tackle at USC, while eventually finding his seat at right tackle for the Dolphins. He hopes to pass on that knowledge to Proctor and Savaiinaea, stating “So I just tell those guys, you're the same player that you were at that position but you're at a new position, and you can do the same things still. It's just a matter of practice, repetition and consistency. Are you going to consistently train yourself? And that's how anyone gets better.”

A former first-round pick himself, Jackson mentioned he isn’t harping on expectations to Proctor. “But I definitely just try to help out and be a resource. Any time he has questions or anything I see that I could tell him that would help him in the moment, like a play or something, I'll tell him.”

At the end of the day, many factors will impact Jackson’s Dolphins future, as he figures to be one of the most important pieces of the team’s offensive puzzle. Entering year seven and head coach number three with Miami, he’s focused on being a consistent asset to the franchise

“I'm honestly glad I can be here and be a part of it," Jackson said. "And I want to contribute, I will contribute, so that's my focus.”