The Malik Willis signing by the Miami Dolphins has led to a top free agency grade.
One of the most talked-about signings has been former Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Malik Willis landing with the Miami Dolphins. Despite only six starts, the young signal caller continues to receive praise league-wide.
Willis showed flashes of brilliance when he took over for the injured Jordan Love, pulling off big-time throws downfield, while also being able to rifle off chunk yardage with his legs. The natural ability is there, which has led to the Dolphins receiving a top free agency grade.
The start to Willis's NFL career was not the best, as he was drafted to be the Tennessee Titans' franchise option. However, injuries and inconsistent play led to the young signal caller being sent to the Packers, where he remained the backup for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
As stated, Willis showed some big-play abilities in his four starts, securing 422 yards and three touchdowns, along with 123 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
It was his natural ability showcased in that small amount of starts that led the Dolphins to sign him to a three-year, $67.5 million deal.
With the Dolphins ironing out their quarterback room post-Tua Tagovailoa, the spotlight will now be on Willis to take control and show the NFL world what he can truly do.
Due to the signing, ESPN's Seth Walder gave the Dolphins an "A" grade on bringing in Willis.
"Willis represents exactly what the Dolphins need: quarterbacking upside.
"Let's get the negatives out of the way. Miami is betting on a tiny sample -- only three starts as a Packer. Those starts came with an elite offensive designer in Matt LaFleur. Willis didn't even throw that much in those starts, and his first two seasons in Tennessee didn't go well. Despite all that, I find Willis to be an incredibly compelling option.
"His numbers were outrageous in Green Bay -- an 86.3 QBR, 9.2 yards per dropback and a plus-7% completion percentage over expected, per NFL Next Gen Stats. Those stats would all rank first over the past two seasons among QBR qualifiers if Willis kept up that hot pace in a bigger sample," Walder wrote.
Again, the sample size for Willis is very small, but the fact that the Packers allowed him the full playbook as a backup quarterback is something to focus on. The usual case if a starter goes down is to alter the playbook to something more basic to keep the offense on the field.
Willis marched his team downfield and was able to lead them to a 2-2 record in his four games of action.
General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley got to see Willis in action during their time in Green Bay, and the connection was always there. It will now be up to the young passer to put things together on the field.
If Willis can emerge as the solid franchise option for the Dolphins, Sullivan will look like a genius, and Miami will not have to engage in a quarterback carousel for the foreseeable future.
For now, the Dolphins need to heavily upgrade the roster, but Willis has a ton of upside to be unlocked.