Dolphins Signing Jackson to Extension

The 2020 first-round pick is enjoying the best season of his young NFL career

Austin Jackson has enjoyed the best year of his NFL career in a prove-it season, and now he's going to get his reward.

The Miami Dolphins and their starting right tackle have agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension, first reported by NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport and confirmed by a league source.

Jackson was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason after the Dolphins declined to pick up the 2020 first-round pick's fifth-year option this spring.

Given his uneven performance in his first two seasons in the NFL and the ankle issues that limited him to two games in 2022, the Dolphins absolutely were justified in their decision to see what Jackson could offer at right tackle.

And Jackson has delivered in a big way as the only offensive lineman to start every game and playing pretty much like you'd expect a former first-round pick to play.

Jackson's new deal is worth up with $39 million, with almost $21 million guaranteed, according to Rapoport.

BIG PENDING FREE AGENT CHECKED OFF

This move takes care of one of the many front-line players whose contract situation the Dolphins will have to address over the next several months.

On the offensive line alone, the Dolphins also have guard Robert Hunt, center Connor Williams, guard Isaiah Wynn and key backup tackle Kendall Lamm looming as potential unrestricted free agents, to go along with defensive tackles Christian Wilkins and Raekwon Davis, and several others.

And that doesn't even include the possibility of signing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a long-term extension, even though he's under contract in 2024 with the fifth-year option.

The Dolphins will be forced to make decisions in terms of which players they prioritize, with also the option of using the franchise tag.

2020 DOLPHINS DRAFT CLASS UPDATE

Jackson's emergence in 2023 has been another positive boost for the Dolphins' 2020 draft, which was led by Tagovailoa and featured three first-round picks.

While Tua has emerged as an upper-echelon quarterback the past two seasons, Jackson getting a second contract certainly goes a long way toward validating the selection made with the pick the Dolphins acquired in the 2019 trade that sent All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While the Dolphins gave up on 30th overall selection Noah Igbinoghene when they traded him to the Dallas Cowboys over the summer for fellow defensive back Kelvin Joseph, that 2020 draft class just keeps looking better.

In addition to Tua and Jackson, the Dolphins also got Hunt, Davis, safety Brandon Jones and long-snapper Blake Ferguson among their 11 picks that year.