Dolphins sign Eric Fisher, place Austin Jackson on injured reserve

The Miami Dolphins offensive line has taken a beating over the last several weeks, losing starters Austin Jackson, Terron Armstead, and Liam Eichenberg for different portions of the season. This weekend, Miami’s starting tackles were Brandon Shell and Greg Little. Kendall Lamm was listed as a backup, but Miami’s offensive line was wearing thin outside of that.

So with the uncertainty surrounding Armstead and an ankle injury to Austin Jackson (more on that in a bit), Miami made a roster move, signing former first-round draft pick Eric Fisher.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report the signing.

Fisher, 31, was drafted as the #1 overall pick in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft. That draft was, of course, the one where the Dolphins traded up to select Dion Jordan when maybe the rest of the world thought it might be Lane Johnson or another player.

Fisher played eight seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, starting 113 games. He was named to the Pro Bowl twice and helped lead the Chiefs to the Super Bowl in 2019. Fisher played 15 games with the Indianapolis Colts in 2021 before becoming a free agent in the offseason.

He now becomes a versatile backup for the Dolphins’ depleted offensive line — with a legit opportunity to start in the coming weeks. Yes, Brandon Shell and Greg Little didn’t play as poorly as I had imagined vs. the San Francisco 49ers, but I do have to wonder if Fisher wouldn’t be a slight upgrade.

In a corresponding move, the Dolphins placed starting right tackle Austin Jackson on injured reserve. Jackson will be on IR for at least four weeks. Head coach Mike McDaniel will meet with the media later today, so hopefully, we will find out more about his injury and where Armstead stands ahead of Sunday’s matchup vs. the Los Angeles Chargers.

What are your thoughts on the Miami Dolphins signing Eric Fisher? Do you think Austin Jackson will return this season? If he does, should he be immediately placed back in the starting rotation, much like he was last time? How confident are you heading into Sunday’s matchup vs. the Chargers? Let us know in the comments section below!