Jackson recognizes he’s the “older player” on the offensive line.
Miami Dolphins offensive tackle Austin Jackson is entering his sixth season in the NFL as he looks to return from a knee injury that shortened the 2024 season to just eight games played. His recovery from the injury, and the surgery that followed, seems to be on track, as he returned to the team’s offseason training program and organized team activities over the last few weeks.
“It was tough. It was tough,” Jackson said of missing the second half of the 2024 season. “I hate to leave the season the way I did last year with so much at stake in terms of fighting for playoffs and stuff like that, but my situation with my knee was something I had to take care of. So it just kind of forced me to just look inward that really just come up with a plan for the future. Look inward and come up with a plan.”
One part of the plan seems to be the decision to not wear a brace on his knee. When asked about the lack of anything on the knee, Jackson responded, ”I’ve always hated playing in knee braces. Even in college, they’d give us knee braces and I would beg my coach to take them off for game day. But yeah, I’m healthy. I don’t need it. If I need it, I’ll know. My body will tell me, but so far, I’ve been great.”
As the team prepares for their veteran minicamp next week, Jackson recognizes his role on the offensive line is no longer just the starting right tackle, but rather he is the leader on the line following the retirement of left tackle Terron Armstead this year. He explained of his new role, taking on the leadership mantle, stating, “I am the older player in the room now. Armstead was that guy for us for a while, for me. I think now with the younger guys coming in and me myself having more confidence in the system, I definitely can help anybody who’s looking to do what we do the right way.”
Jackson continued, admitting he is already seeing some of the changes in the locker room without Armstead, ”Yeah, it is changing a little bit, because usually people would go to Armstead for stuff and ask him questions, but now they come ask me. It’s cool, I appreciate it. Make sure I’m at my best, giving advice and really just making sure I’m leading by example. I don’t ever want to say one thing and do the other.”
The Dolphins moved Jackson around early in his career, beginning with him as the team’s left tackle as a rookie in 2020, then moving him inside as a guard in 2021. He took over the starting right tackle position in 2022, but was limited to just two games due to an ankle injury. He returned as the right tackle in 2023, locking down the position. He has appeared in 56 games since being selected, starting all but two of those games.
Playing right tackle, Jackson serves as the blindside protector for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is one of two starting left-handed quarterbacks in the league.
Jackson also spoke about some of those younger players, starting with second-year tackle Patrick Paul, who will assume the starting left tackle position vacated by Armstead, stating, ”He’s been really consistent in his training, which is really good for a young player. Especially for him, last year to this year, he lost a little bit of weight and has still been able to maintain his strength, so that’s another big jump that tackles have to adjust to when they come into the league.”
Turning to second-year draft pick Jonah Savaiinaea, Jackson said of the rookie, “He’s showed up every day just ready to work. He’s very physical, very fast guy, and he gets better every day. I think he’ll be great in the system.”
Miami also added veteran guard James Daniels in free agency this year, with the expectation that he will take a starting role for this season. A torn Achilles tendon ended his 2024 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4, with the 2018 second-round pick of the Chicago Bears not yet ready to get fully back on the practice field. Jackson spoke of how he and the rest of the offensive line grown their chemistry and communication without having the practice reps with Daniels yet.
“Right now, I would say the way is the meeting rooms,” Jackson explained. “We watch a lot of film together, and he’s an older player so he has had a lot of experience playing in NFL games, so he can gain the concepts faster. But the meeting room is the main way we kind of gel so that training camp, we can be full speed.”
Jackson provided some insight into the play of second-year outside linebacker Chop Robinson, the team’s 2024 first-round draft pick who is set to be one of the top edge rushers on the roster this year. “He’s playing very well,” Jackson said. “He’s playing very well in his second spring. He’s been a lot more active with his hands, playing more physical. He looks a lot more confident, comfortable than his rookie year. He definitely looks like he’s going to make that big second year jump that we want to see and coaches want to see.”
The Dolphins head into their mandatory minicamp next week, the last event on their offseason training program schedule for this year. The team will break at the end of the week until the start of training camp in late July.