The Miami Dolphins' offseason kicked off with quite the conundrum. It's not that there was a question about whether Tua Tagovailoa should remain in Miami. Even his No. 1 fan, Mike McDaniel, had seen enough of that. The issue lay with Tagovailoa's exorbitant contract and the onerous penalties attached to moving on early. For the bargain price of $99 million, Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley opted to bite the bullet and send the once-ballyhooed enigma packing.
Despite the constant chatter that he might survive another year, the reality seems to be that Sullivan and Hafley saw precisely what Dolphins fans were subjected to until Tagovailoa's merciful benching late in the season. The unmistakable reality was that the former top-five pick had lost his fastball, and the bridges burned along the way made the decision slightly less painful.
Where the new regime opted to go from there, however, caught many by surprise. While most expected the Dolphins to spend relative pennies in free agency — a reality that proved true in the rest of their signings — they did reel in one big fish. Instead of rolling with 2025 seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers or a cheap bridge veteran like Geno Smith, the team came out on top in the Malik Willis sweepstakes.
While many Dolphins fans were conflicted at the time, the ink is dry on the contract. Willis will be a Dolphin in 2026, one way or another. In an appearance on The Richard Sherman Podcast, Jeff Hafley was asked about his rationale in targeting his former Green Bay pupil, and his answer said it all.
“I got to see [Malik Willis] in practice every day. He was our scout team quarterback," Hafley said. "I communicated with him more than I communicated with Jordan [Love] because each week I wanted a certain look. [Willis] and I developed a really good relationship and then obviously I got to see him play."
"He’s competitive, he’s tough, he can throw the ball, he’s really accurate down the field and he’s really athletic. He can make plays with his feet, when he breaks the pocket he’s really accurate. On top of all that, I love the person. He’s got this unique way that he leads. He’s not this outspoken, loud guy, but people gravitate to him. So, to get a quarterback like that, that you trust as we build this foundation and we have a type of leader that we want, I think that’s huge.”
For Miami Dolphins HC Jeff Hafley, Malik Willis isn't just a quarterback — he's the foundation
When a coach moves to a new locale, one could imagine it's a shock to the system. Leaving a place where you knew everyone and going to a new building full of new faces and personalities is nerve-wracking in and of itself. Layer on the responsibility of stewarding this group of people you just met, and it's easy to view it as a daunting task.
One way to ease yourself in is to surround yourself with trusted members of your past. The kind of people who know your values, will fight for you, and have the guts to tell you something you may not want to hear when things get tough. There's a large contingent of these folks who followed Hafley from Green Bay littered on his coaching staff. Then comes the player aspect.
The Dolphins added more than their fair share of former Packers. Once again, these players represent something that Hafley is missing in droves right now: familiarity. It's one thing to have a special teamer or third tight end try to instill your tenets into their new teammates. It's a different thing entirely to have that message coming from the team's most important position.
One could consider Malik Willis' contract twofold. On one hand, he is expected to play well for this team and hopefully put together a performance that keeps Miami out of the QB sweepstakes in 2027 (and maybe wind up with Jeremiah Smith instead). On the other hand, Hafley has entrusted him to be the prime example of what he wants a Miami Dolphin to look and act like under his watch.
Heavy is the crown, but Malik Willis is built for it. The hard-working signal-caller has drawn rave reviews as a teammate and as a professional wherever he's been. Mastering the playing part took some more time, but the cautious optimism is warranted. Players don't ink near $70 million contracts by accident. If the Dolphins needed to go that high, it's because some other team pushed the bar there.
In short, Malik Willis isn't just here to throw touchdowns and scramble out of trouble. Jeff Hafley specifically targeted him to be an example for all the players who will come to Miami in the coming years. Willis will continue to work hard, stay out of trouble, and improve. It's all he's ever done. If Hafley's gamble pays off, he'll soon be joined by 52 other teammates doing the exact same thing.
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