Miami Dolphins To Place Starting Tackle on Injured Reserve

The Miami Dolphins will be without one of their cornerstones along the offensive line for at least four weeks. Head coach Mike McDaniel announced at his Friday media availability that the team would be placing tackle Austin Jackson on short-term injured reserve ahead of their Week 2 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens:

Austin Jackson is going on short-term IR per Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, they don’t want his ankle injury to linger throughout the season

Terron Armstead will be limited once again in practice today and is considered questionable for Sunday’s game vs the Ravens
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) September 16, 2022

Jackson injured his ankle early in the Dolphins' 20-7 victory over the New England Patriots, causing him to miss all but 14 snaps on offense. The move to injured reserve comes following rumors that Jackson and fellow tackle Terron Armstead could both miss Week 2. For now, it's possible Armstead will be available, but Jackson will miss this Sunday's game against Baltimore as well as games versus the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, and New York Jets.

The 18th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, Jackson has shuffled around the offensive line since arriving with the Dolphins, eventually settling on right tackle this offseason. He has struggled so far in his NFL career, never grading better than 52.5 at Pro Football Focus for either of his two full seasons, but the significance of the draft capital the Dolphins invested in him will likely mean he receives plenty of patience and every opportunity to improve. He'll be replaced in the starting lineup by Greg Little, the former 37th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft.