It's no secret that the Miami Dolphins are going to be a much different (and likely much worse) team in 2026 than they were a year ago, or any year recently for that matter. General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has gutted the roster in an attempt to rid himself of the poor decisions left behind by former GM Chris Grier, and it's left the roster in a state of flux.
Among the big changes was a major shift at quarterback, with the oft-injured and immobile Tua Tagovailoa being switched out for the unproven, dynamic Malik Willis. While there is plenty of reason for optimism about the change, one question keeps coming up: Is Willis being set up to fail?
Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon is the latest to pose that question, as he named the Dolphins' lack of talent around him as the biggest obstacle Willis will face next season.
Malik Willis may have a short-lived stint as the Miami Dolphins starter if Bleacher Report is right about his surrounding cast
Gagnon is far from the first analyst to question whether Miami has enough talent to give Willis a fair shot, but his point still stands.
"Willis finally gets a starting opportunity with a nice salary, but that comes just after the Dolphins have parted ways with their two high-caliber veteran receivers," Gagnon explained. "It won't be easy relying heavily on guys like Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell while getting acclimated to a new/transitioning offensive line in Miami."
The only real pushback that I can offer is that Miami did add three rookie receivers to the mix, all with varying skill sets and levels of pro readiness. The point about the offensive line is also fair, but I would argue it has a chance to be significantly better than what they fielded a year ago. If first-round pick Kadyn Proctor can smoothly transition to left guard and Jonah Savaiinaea looks better back on the right side of the line, the Dolphins could suddenly have a respectable starting five.
It's also hard to factor in the rushing element of Willis' game. With De'Von Achane locked in as the team's franchise player, he and Willis could be a nightmare to defend in the read option and RPO game. That could help draw attention away from the young playmakers and give them more room to operate, which will help mask their lack of high-end talent and worrisome inexperience.
If the run game can't raise the floor, however, the entire offense runs the risk of bottoming out in a hurry. I won't go as far as to say that Willis could lose his hold on the starting job, but if Gagnon's concerns come to pass, his time as the Dolphins' franchise QB could be shorter than anyone hopes.
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