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Jackson Restructure and Other Dolphins Contract Notes

The Miami Dolphins lowered tackle Austin Jackson's 2025 salary cap number by almost $8 million

Alain Poupart

Miami Dolphins tackle Austin Jackson (73) prepares for a block against the Buffalo Bills in the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium during the 2023 season.
Miami Dolphins tackle Austin Jackson (73) prepares for a block against the Buffalo Bills in the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium during the 2023 season. / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
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The Miami Dolphins have adjusted a player contract again this offseason, though this one did not involve a pay cut.

Rather, the Dolphins merely moved money around on tackle Austin Jackson's contract to free up almost $8 million of cap space.

The exact number was $7.8 million (rounded out to the first decimal), according to overthecap.com.

The Dolphins accomplished this by converting $9.7 million of Jackson's original salary into a signing bonus, which now will be spread out over the next four years, including the three void years at the end of his contract. The move will add about $1.9 million to his cap number over those next four years.

Jackson's base salary for 2025 now has become the veteran minimum of just under $1.2 million. His cap number now will be at $5.7 million.

THE DOLPHINS' BIG CAP NUMBERS

Jackson began the offseason as one of nine Dolphins players with a cap number topping $10 million, but that number is now at seven with Jackson and tackle Terron Armstead's new numbers.

Armstead and Bradley Chubb also have new contracts, but in each case they agreed to take a pay cut.

The seven players who still have a cap number of at least $10 million are QB Tua Tagovailoa ($39.2M), WR Tyreek Hill ($27.7M), CB Jalen Ramsey ($16.7M), OLB Jaelan Phillips ($13.3M), DT Zach Sieler ($12.4M), Chubb ($12.3M), and LB Jordyn Brooks ($11M).

Exactly how much cap space the Dolphins have after the Jackson restructure is unknown because the contracts of some recently signed free agents — K.J. Britt, Willie Gay Jr., Liam Eichenberg, Benito Jones, among them — have yet to be entered into the NFLPA database.

WILKINS WATCH

Another player who recently got his contract redone was former Dolphins DT Christian Wilkins, now with the Las Vegas Raiders.

To create more than $15 million of cap space in 2025, the Raiders converted a $20.5 million roster bonus into a signing bonus to be spread out over the next four years.

His cap number will jump $5.1 million each of the next three years, including the 2028 void year. The 2026 cap number will be $37.7 million.

Wilkins, of course, left the Dolphins last offseason when he signed a four-year contract worth up to $112 million.

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI and host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

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