Dolphins Secure OL Germain Ifedi Amid Austin Jackson's Injury

Miami Dolphins starting offensive tackle Austin Jackson will be sidelined for several weeks due to a leg injury sustained during practice when he was stepped on. Despite this setback, he is anticipated to return in time for the season opener against the Indianapolis Colts on September 7.

Coach Mike McDaniel clarified that this injury is not connected to the knee issue that kept Jackson out for the last eight games of the previous season. "He got the injury playing football," McDaniel stated on Sunday. "Got stepped on. Has nothing to do with anything but that." He expressed confidence in Jackson's progress, noting, "With Austin, the bottom line for me where he's at — out of all the guys, I would say — he had some time off, he knocked some rust off, he got back and in my opinion exceeded where he was playing before, so we're fortunate that timetable doesn't seem to be into the regular season."

In response to Jackson's injury, the Dolphins have signed veteran offensive lineman Germain Ifedi. Ifedi brings a wealth of experience, having started 90 games across his career with teams including Cleveland, Chicago, and Seattle, and has played both guard and tackle positions.

Additionally, the team has waived quarterback Brett Gabbert and activated safety Ifeatu Melifonwu from the non-football injury list. Melifonwu's return is timely as the Dolphins' secondary has faced challenges with cornerback Kader Kohou suffering a season-ending knee injury and safety Ashtyn Davis dealing with a leg injury early in training camp.

In further injury updates, linebacker Jaelan Phillips, who has battled injuries over the past two seasons including Achilles tendon and ACL issues, sustained a bruise to one of his legs during practice. However, McDaniel indicated that Phillips is expected to miss only a couple of days as the swelling subsides.