Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley has confirmed that Malik Willis will play in the team's first preseason game.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis is expected to play in the team's preseason game against the Washington Commanders on Aug. 14. When head coach Jeff Hafley was asked about whether Willis is planning on getting some action, he confirmed that is the plan.
"I am, but as you said, things can change," Hafley said.
Willis spent the past two seasons with the Green Bay Packers, which is how both Hafley and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan became very acquainted with the passer. Despite having six NFL starts to his name, he will now be the starting quarterback for the Dolphins.
Willis has shown plenty of his leadership capabilities, which is a quality that Hafley has spoke on many times, including in this same media session.
Despite the usual case for head coaches to rest their starters and oftentimes rest the starting quarterbacks, Willis is expected to play to some degree on Friday. It will also be the first time that the NFL world will get to see what he can do in a Miami uniform.
Though Hafley did not confirm just how long Willis and the starters will be out on the field, he did indicate that it depends on how many snaps they get during practice, which is what he had expressed previous to the joint practice setting.
"You get your so-called starters 22 starters 30-35 reps, you give him tomorrow, walk-through, and then you don't really play very much. But as you go through our team right now. There aren't many of those guys, so we have to gain experience," Hafley said.
There could be an instance of the starters only being out for one series, or possibly more. It will all be determined by how many snaps the starting units get during their practice sessions.
When asked why the veterans need to experience a live-game setting, Hafley simply pointed to the roster being young.
"We're young, so, when you say veterans, how many guys have been through this year after year?" Hafley said.
Granted, the Dolphins' roster is not young in the literal sense, but the majority of the players in the building have not been playing together prior to 2026. There can be a lot gained and learned from seeing how they operate in preseason.
There are also many camp competitions to pay attention to, and many rookies who are in starting positions.
Wide receiver Caleb Douglas and linebacker Trey Moore are two players to keep an eye on in terms of their preseason play and whether or not they keep those starting positions.
The same can really be said for most of the roster spots. The remainder of training camp and preseason is to determine who will truly be a starter once the real action begins in Week 1.
Hafley also made mention of that, stating players worrying about where they are on the depth chart right now is the wrong mindset to have, and its more about the work being put in to prepare for the regular season.
