The NFL trade deadline is days away. Tuesday will close the window for movement this season, and the Miami Dolphins have been part of the speculation given their record. The problem? They don't have a lot of valuable assets that are worth anything, and the ones they do have, they want to keep.
Then there is Austin Jackson. He hasn't been as horrible as he was earlier in the season, but that isn't saying a whole lot either. Jackson has been at the center of trade speculation, and while the Dolphins would be lucky to get a conditional 2028 draft pick for him, he remains at the top of the list of potential Dolphins on the move.
If we are being honest with ourselves, Jackson isn't someone fans will lose any sleep over if he leaves, even if it is for some ridiculously low conditional pick. Now, Jackson just gave the Dolphins a reason to trade him with comments that don't seem to align with the overall thinking behind this rebuild.
Miami Dolphins should grant Austin Jackson his wish and ship him out of South Florida
Speaking with the media on Friday, Jackson was asked about the trade speculation that has run rampant over the last month. Miami Herald beat journalist Barry Jackson asked him if he had heard anything. “I don't think anybody would want me to know beforehand", Jackson replied. "So it's kind of one of those situations where if it happens, it happens.”
Nothing too big, not out of the ordinary, but then Palm Beach Post beat writer Joe Schad asked him if his preference was to stay in Miami.
“My preference is to be with whoever wants me. Yeah, that's how I'm feeling towards the end of my career.”
There are two things to digest here. One: he doesn't care if he stays in Miami. If you don't want to be here, go tell Jon-Eric Sullivan to ship you out. Jackson wants to go where he is wanted, but here's the rub: no one "wants" Jackson; it's a case of need. He is an average player who has better-than-average games.
Zach Sieler, Jordyn Brooks, and other players have fielded those questions, and each of them has said they want to stick around Miami and see this through. It's evident that Jackson doesn't share that same opinion.
Miami's roster is full of young players fighting for playing time and respect. They are working diligently to get better at their craft and create a strong foundation for the future. The Dolphins want to build a culture that will be defined by grit, physicality, and eventually winning.
The second part of this quote refers to the end of his career. Jackson has seven years in the NFL, and most of those seasons were "half seasons" at best. Jackson hasn't come close to a full season since 2023 and has missed more than half of the games in the last three years. He has only three seasons in which he appeared in more than 13 games.
This is another "red flag" for Sullivan. If Jackson is already talking about the end of his career in season seven, get rid of him now.
Jackson is a free agent after the end of the season and provides little consistency to the Dolphins' offensive line. A trade may do him good, but it's clear that his days in Miami should be numbered; how soon depends on Sullivan's ability to work a trade for a player who won't command much.
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