The Miami Dolphins have been working with an amended offensive line for the duration of their three game win streak thanks to a foot injury to 1st-round offensive tackle Austin Jackson. While Miami has found plenty of success in the win column, the team has yet to really find their stride in the run game and find the consistency necessary to churn out the clock and run the ball with a lead. Miami is hoping that can change tomorrow against the Arizona Cardinals and while the Dolphins will be without their top two running backs, they will indeed have some reinforcements.
The Dolphins have announced that they have activated Jackson from injured reserve.
We have activated tackle Austin Jackson off injured reserve and elevated wide receiver Kirk Merritt as a COVID-19 replacement.
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) November 7, 2020
This is a big boost for the Dolphins but will certainly prompt some changes to the Dolphins’ line — assuming that Jackson’s activation will be paired with a return to the starting lineup. Which player would be bumped if the Dolphins did indeed decide to plug Jackson back into the lineup? The easy assumption is that left tackle Jesse Davis or fellow rookie tackle Robert Hunt will be removed. If the Dolphins are worried about communication, perhaps Davis will slide back to right tackle, where he played before the injury to Jackson against Seattle in Week 4.
But the better athletic ceiling for the Dolphins would be to put both rookie tackles into the game. Will Miami, with Tua Tagovailoa entering his second career start at quarterback, welcome three rookie starters on the offensive line?
It’s a good problem to have for Miami, as they’ll have options to try to find the right mix to hopefully breathe some life into the running game and keep the team’s proficient pass protection moving in the right direction. For now, all we know is that Jackson is active. We’ll find out tomorrow if he’s back in the starting lineup.