MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Some five dozen players have seen the field on offense or defense for the Miami Dolphins in 2023.
Only one has logged every possible snap:
Right tackle Austin Jackson.
Yes, the same Austin Jackson who appeared in just two games in 2022 because of injury.
“It’s a blessing,” Jackson said Tuesday after the Dolphins’ last practice before this weekend’s bye. “That’s everything I wanted, especially coming from my situation last year, to be able to be healthy and get every opportunity on that field that I can get.”
He’s making the most of that opportunity — and in the process, making himself a lot of money.
Market Valuation for Miami Dolphins RT Austin Jackson
Jackson is a free agent at season’s end — which the Dolphins made possible by declining to pick up the fifth-year option of his rookie contract back in the spring.
The decision made all the sense in the world at the time. Jackson wasn’t the player we see now early in his career, and the Dolphins would have been on the hook for his fully guaranteed $14.2 million base salary in 2024.
But now that Jackson has proven that he’s not just a capable starting tackle, but a good one, Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel would be wise to lock him up long term, especially since Connor Williams, Robert Hunt, and Isaiah Wynn are also on expiring deals.
Jackson told reporters Tuesday that, to the best of his knowledge, the Dolphins have not approached his representation about an extension.
“I try to keep out of that stuff and just do my job,” Jackson said. “… This is kind of the guy I am, especially going into this type of [year] for me personally. You know, it’s playing football at the end of the day. I have nothing to worry about with that. Thinking about future uncertainties and stuff like that, which is like my contract, it’s too much for me to think about.”
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Jackson is deserving of a raise. In 578 snaps this year, he has committed three penalties and has allowed one sack.
So what would an extension look like?
According to Spotrac, Jackson’s market valuation is four years, $42.7 million. That averages out to $10.6 million a year, which would rank 26th among NFL tackles. If Jackson’s arrow continues pointing up, it could end up looking like great value.
“I’ve never had a rep that I didn’t like that didn’t motivate me to get better,” Jackson said. “I think that’s what it’s about staying in the NFL. Always getting better every day. That’s something that [Brian Flores] taught me, when he was here, you know, Flo did a good job with that, coached me real well in that aspect, getting better every day.
“And that’s just really what it is in the league. You just gotta get better every day. A bunch of people trying to play, and you got to be at your best.”
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