Dolphins Sign Tackle Eric Fisher

The Miami Dolphins made a significant move at the tackle position heading into their Week 14 against the L.A. Chargers

The Miami Dolphins are making a significant move to address their injury issues at tackle, bringing in former first overall pick Eric Fisher.

He will take the roster spot of starting right tackle Austin Jackson, who will be going on injured reserve for a second time this season as a result of the ankle injury he sustained in the Week 12 victory against the Houston Texans.

The team made the moves official Monday afternoon.

Exactly what role Fisher will end up playing for the Dolphins remains to be seen. He has played left tackle for most of his NFL career after being the No. 1 overall pick out of Central Michigan in 2013 and conceivably could end up being the top backup to Terron Armstead, who missed the 33-17 loss against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday with a pectoral injury.

Or Fisher could end up at right tackle, either as a replacement for new starter Brandon Shell or as a backup at that spot.

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ERIC FISHER'S NFL RESUME

Fisher has been out of the NFL all season after playing for the Indianapolis Colts in 2021, following an eight-year stint with the Kansas City Chiefs.

His time in Kansas City ended after he sustained a torn Achilles tendon in the 2020 AFC Championship Game against Buffalo, forcing him to miss the Super Bowl against Tampa Bay. After Patrick Mahomes was hounded all game by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass rush, the organization decided to redo its offensive line in the offseason and ended up releasing Fisher.

Fisher has started 128 of his 132 NFL games, including all 15 games he played for the Colts. Fisher had a 68.2 overall grade in 874 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, committed eight penalties and allowed 41 pressures.

He clearly was more effective in 2020 when he was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career — the first came in 2018 when Mahomes earned NFL MVP honors. His PFF grade that season was 80.0, with 34 pressures and three penalties in 1,049 snaps.

When he suits up for his first game, Fisher will become the sixth NFL first overall pick to play for the Dolphins. The list consists of WR Irving Fryar (1984 draft), DT Steve Emtman (1992), DT Dan Wilkinson (1994), DE Mario Williams (2006) and T Jake Long (2008). Long is the only one who actually was drafted by the Dolphins.

JACKSON'S TOUGH YEAR CONTINUES

After earning the starting right tackle job, it's been a frustrating year for Jackson, the 18th overall pick in the 2020 draft.

Going on IR for a second time doesn't necessarily mean his season is over, though, because the new NFL rules allow for a player to return twice, though each time counts against the maximum total of eight IR returns for each team.

Jackson will be the seventh Dolphins player on IR post-53 (meaning they can return this season), joining TE Cethan Carter, OL Liam Eichenberg, LB Trey Flowers, S Brandon Jones, CB Nik Needham and DE Emmanuel Ogbah.

Jones, Needham and Ogbah already have been declared out for the season, but there's no timetable on any of the others.

Jackson and safety Clayton Fejedelem are the only two players who have returned from IR this season, giving the Dolphins six more moves to make if they choose.

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