The Miami Dolphins may not know what the roster will produce, but the belief in Malik Willis has led to him being labeled a big winner in free agency.
The Miami Dolphins have a patchwork roster due to their cap constraints leftover by former general manager Chris Grier and the previous regimes. Despite many variables that could lead to a competitive or not-so-competitive season, Malik Willis was labeled a big winner of free agency.
Willis had been connected to the Dolphins for months due to general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley coming over from the Green Bay Packers. The issue was the cap constraints and inflated contract prediction for the quarterback led many to believe the connection would end there.
The Dolphins were able to bring Willis over anyway, signing him to a three-year, $67.5 million deal. Despite the limited starts, the belief is that the young signal caller will be exactly what he demonstrated when taking over for the injured Jordan Love.
Willis began his career with the Tennessee Titans, but he was never really given a shot to show that he could be a starter. Considering he will now get that full chance for the Dolphins, he has been labeled a big winner in free agency.
The Athletic's Mike Jones explains Willis being a big winner due to getting his shot to truly be a starter in the NFL.
"The Tennessee Titans castoff-turned Green Bay Packers backup parlayed strong showings in 11 games over the last two years (three starts) into a three-year, $67.5 million contract with the Dolphins and is in line to start for Miami. Willis really never received ample time to develop in Tennessee, where the Titans drafted him in the third round of the 2022 draft. But lessons learned from Packers coach Matt LaFleur and starter Jordan Love helped Willis gain a better understanding of NFL quarterbacking and pro defenses and how to attack them. The dual-threat quarterback now looks to spearhead a revival on South Beach," Jones wrote.
Willis will get his chance to run this new Dolphins offense come September. Despite the many variables that remain with the team, the quarterback situation has been fully ironed out.
If Willis can continue being the dual-threat playmaker that he showcased in 2025, the Dolphins may have finally found the kind of passer they have needed for multiple years.
The Dolphins also have some building blocks that should pair well with Willis, including offensive linemen Patrick Paul and Aaron Brewer, running back De'Von Achane, and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
There is still much to figure out for the majority of the roster, but the offense could be further along with Willis under center.