The Miami Dolphins have been linked to Malik Willis, but there could be another NFC team looking to compete for his services.
There is a strong chance the Miami Dolphins will move on from Tua Tagovailoa.
Granted, the Dolphins will likely want to see a trade happen for Tagovailoa, but that will be dependent on multiple variables. If and when Tagovailoa is cut or traded, Miami will need another option at quarterback, and that option could be Green Bay Packers signal-caller Malik Willis.
The Dolphins have been connected to Malik Willis due to general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley, both of whom were on the Packers in 2025. Though there is a chance that Miami makes a play for the quarterback, they could be faced with competition from a quarterback-needy NFC team.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler broke down the rumors regarding some bigger free agents, and linked Willis to the Dolphins and the Arizona Cardinals. With Kyler Murray also being benched and likely needing a new team in 2026, the NFC West team could make a play for the young passer.
" Two teams I'll be watching to pursue Malik Willis, if they can find someone to take their current quarterbacks, are the Cardinals and Dolphins. The ties are obvious: New Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley got a head start on Willis from Green Bay, and new Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur can get intimate knowledge of Willis' game from LaFleur's brother, Matt. The Cardinals and Dolphins are saddled with huge guarantees for Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa, respectively, though," Fowler wrote.
What will make the pursuit tough for the Dolphins has everything to do with their current cap situation.
Sullivan will have a tough time figuring out what other players need to be cut, extended, and see their contracts adjusted to get the Dolphins out of the negative $16 million they are in on the current cap space calculator, per overthecap.com.
Once that is figured out, the Dolphins may or may not have much to work with. Considering how impressive Willis was in relief when Packers quarterback Jordan Love was hurt, he could be headed for a sizable contract.
Spotrac has Willis making somewhere in the range of $10 million per season. When digging a bit deeper, the site projects the Packers quarterback making something along the lines of a two-year, $71 million deal.
That may seem a bit high, considering he was only making a little over $1 million as a backup for Love.
Expect Willis to make something in the realm of a two-year, $40 million deal. He has played a limited number of minutes, despite showcasing some great passing and rushing skills with the Packers.
If the Dolphins want to make a play for Willis, they will need to ensure they have the cap space to at least afford that two-year deal.