The Phinsider
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...
