Austin Jackson, the Miami Dolphins first-round pick in 2020, left Friday’s practice with a lower leg injury. This serious injury will set him back for at least the next month or so. This was the case on this injury, in which he got “stepped on” per Head Coach Mike McDaniel. Luckily, this ailment isn’t connected to the meniscus injury that had previously forced Jackson to miss nine games last season.
Jackson signed a three-year, $36 million extension earlier this season. In his second year, he has continued to solidify himself as one of the team’s cornerstone players. Last year, the Dolphins were historically bad when he wasn’t in the lineup. They actually ranked the second worst in the entire league for win rates when he was not in the lineup. Without Jackson, the team’s offensive line play seriously plummeted. Their run block win rate dropped from 71.5% before Week 9 to just 67.3% after that point in the season. Likewise, their pass block win rate dropped from 62.4% with Jackson to 50% sans him.
Even with this loss, McDaniel was positive on Jackson’s development before the injury occurred. His concern was that Jackson had “knocked some rust off” and was playing even better than he was before his earlier injury.
“He got the injury playing football and got stepped on. It has nothing to do with anything but that,” – Mike McDaniel
Jackson’s short-term recovery timetable seems encouraging. It probably won’t extend into the regular season, providing the Dolphins with some assurance as they prepare for their Sept. 12 season-opener against the Indianapolis Colts. Considering how he’s played thus far, Jackson is likely to be the starter in that game, assuming he heals as anticipated.
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