The Miami Dolphins are betting big on Malik Willis, and multiple coaches have revealed why he continues to be praised as a leader.
The biggest knock on Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis is the fact that he has only had six starts in the NFL. Despite being viewed as a veteran player and as a pseudo-rookie due to those starts, the young passer continues to receive praise for his leadership qualities.
During media availability with multiple coaches, they all sang the praises of Willis, commenting on his team-first mentality.
Quarterbacks coach Bush Hamdan spoke on what he has seen from Willis, indicating he is the "first in the building" among many other positives.
"I just feel he's always the first one in the building, you know, the last one to leave. I think certainly already in the community, he's normally the one pushing you know, to do the right thing. And I think guys view him as a guy again who's been battle tested. you know, he's not a first-year player. He's been through it, you know, the ups, the downs, has had to battle back. So, I just think there's a lot of respect around him," Hamdan said.
Hamdan also spoke about the growth that he has seen from Willis in just this short time.
"I think the biggest thing is just the growth he's had since he's gotten in the NFL. You know, I think we talked so much about it, the uh expectations you put on yourself as a rookie and uh so gone through it. I think he's battle-tested," Hamdan said.
Hamdan refers to Willis as "battle-tested" due to the adversity he faced when entering the league. After being drafted out of Liberty by the Tennesse Titans, he was viewed as the franchise answer for the team.
That was not the case, as Willis was often a healthy scratch and did not get the chance to start more than three games in his first two seasons. After being traded to the Green Bay Packers, he served as the backup to Jordan Love, where he carved out attention in 2025 with some solid playmaking abilities.
Those abilities are what the Dolphins are bankingon and what additional coaches praised, such as offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.
"Really talented individual. Can spin the ball all over the field, can throw the ball everywhere, can run, obviously, can use his legs. He's tough, but honestly, what I've enjoyed the most so far is getting to know him. The person is really fun to be around. He's really energetic. He infuses everybody with a lot of energy, just makes you want to kind of be involved in whatever he's doing, and he's been fun to coach," Slowik said.
Willis has been described as soft spoken, but the players have been said to gravitate around him. This is similar to what Hamdan was saying regarding how the quarterback is viewed among the other players.
Additionally, passing game coordinator Kevin Patullo spoke on how Willis is very "detail oriented," and he continues to ask questions regarding how he can get better at his craft.
"But he really wants to evolve as a passer, know more and really match up his game with what we're trying to do. So that's really unique about him and it's encouraging because every day he's asking questions. He wants to know, 'Hey, how do I do this better? Was this good enough?' And at this point in the season, you know, we're trying to build to those moments. It's awesome. And he is very detailed in everything he's does," Patullo said.
Clearly, there is a lot of promise to Willis' game, and multiple Dolphins coaches explaining his work ethic does bode well for the organization. Even with six starts, the front office brought the former Packers passer in as the only expensive free agent.
Willis was given a three-year, $67.5 million deal. That is a lot of money for a player who has limited starts. However, general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley got to see him up close in Green Bay, so they know a bit more about his potential ceiling.
That ceiling will be on full display, as Willis will be under center for this Dolphins rebuild in 2026. If he can excel with a torn-down roster, the organization may be in a strong position moving forward.