Well, it's official: the Miami Dolphins are now Green Bay Packers south. In all seriousness, now that General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has hired Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as the Dolphins Head Coach, fans should expect them to bring a lot of the same ideas and philosophies that they have learned from their time in Green Bay.
It might not be the only things they bring with them from the Packers, however.
With Tua Tagovailoa on his way out after a disappointing 2025 season, Miami is now in desperate need of a new starting quarterback. Seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers performed admirably once Tua was benched to end the season, but he can't be the only option heading into 2026. That is where pending free agent QB Malik Willis comes into play.
The Miami Dolphins should make signing Packers QB Malik Willis the top priority this offseason
Willis has looked remarkable in his limited playing time in Green Bay over the past two seasons, so good in fact that he could have multiple teams competing for his services this free agency. The Dolphins will almost certainly be in the running, considering the strong Packers connections now in place.
Willis looked like a failed experiment during his first two seasons in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans, so much so that Green Bay was able to acquire him for just a seventh-round pick just before the 2024 season kicked off. He rewarded them for their faith in him by going 2-1 as a starter and arguably outplaying usual starter Jordan Love, at least on a rate basis.
It's a very small sample size, but his arm talent and athleticism are as legit as it gets at the NFL level. This isn't a typical backup QB where he is just a game manager and puts up solid numbers that are hollow. He is certainly more talented than any other QB available this offseason, especially on the free agent market.
The Dolphins' cap situation may make a deal complicated, but they have to do something at QB if they don't want 2026 to be a wasted season. With no obvious slam-dunk draft prospects beyond presumptive No.1 pick Fernando Mendoza, Willis may be their only option with any upside to be the guy long-term.
It would be a risk, but no team should know him better and how to make him successful than Miami thanks to Hafley and Sullivan's presence.