The Miami Dolphins are now officially cap compliant after restructuring the contract of one of the team’s 2020 first-round draft picks.
According to Spotrac, the Dolphins and right tackle Austin Jackson agreed to restructure his contract ahead of the 2026 NFL season — which officially kicks off at 4 PM EDT today. Jackson’s new deal is worth $7 million over 1 year, with $5.475 M fully guaranteed.
Spotrac, as always, has the details:
The second of Miami’s 2020 draft picks, the Dolphins selected Austin Jackson with the 18th-overall pick. (Yes, it was the Minkah Fitzpatrick pick) He would go on to start 48 games with the team before signing a three-year, $36M extension in December 2023, after starting his first full season in the league.
Unfortunately, that was the last time Jackson was fully healthy. He’d go on to play eight games in 2024 before suffering an injury to his meniscus. He’d later get surgery to repair the tear in 2025. He would later suffer a toe injury in training camp that forced him to miss time throughout the season, eventually requiring season-ending surgery.
In total, the 26-year-old has started 60 out of 62 games for the Dolphins. He will now play the 2026 season on a one-year prove-it deal, with the hopes of impressing Miami’s new general manager, Jon-Eric Sullivan, and head coach Jeff Hafley.
How did the Dolphins create nearly $9 million in cap space?
To create almost $9 million in space, Miami gave Jackson a $4.25 million signing bonus, along with a veteran minimum $1.3 million salary. The Dolphins added four void years on the back end of the contract, allowing the team to spread the signing bonus over those years for accounting purposes this year.
The issue will be next year, when Jackson will account for a nearly $13 million cap hit in dead money. Of course, Miami can re-sign their 2020 first-round pick to a long-term extension to erase those void years at some point.
What are your thoughts on Austin Jackson restructuring his contract? Do you see this as his last year in Miami? In hindsight, how would you grade the pick of Austin Jackson in the middle of the first round? Let us know in the comments section below!
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