There was a time when polished quarterback play looked very different from what we see today — it was statuesque quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, and so on, playing the same style. It was drop back, scan the field, fire, and move on to the next play. It was usually quick. Older Miami Dolphins fans are familiar with the concept from watching Dan Marino as well.
While opinions may be mixed on the pioneers of the style, sometime around the debuts of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen, the word "improvise" became a staple of NFL broadcasts. Seemingly overnight, conventional quarterback evaluation shifted. It became an absolute necessity for quarterbacks to be able to extend the play beyond just the play call, not just to survive, but to thrive, as defenses got more athletic and impenetrable.
Just like that, most NFL quarterbacks are now cut from the mold of at least having functional mobility. The prototypical pocket passer with feet trapped in cement has become a relic of the past. As it relates to Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis, this has led to a complicated conversation about his supposed biggest weakness: processing speed and getting rid of the ball.
Miami Dolphins fans need to realize the way Malik Willis plays is not a bug, but a feature
Before we get too far in the weeds here, let's be clear: no one is saying Willis is Mahomes, Allen, or Jackson. However, when watching him play, it's important to keep something in mind. Just because the Dolphins have been handcuffed to an injury-prone and athletically limited quarterback for the last six years in Tua Tagovailoa doesn't mean that a quarterback who doesn't get rid of the ball in two seconds is doing something wrong.
It appears that there's a gap in the evaluation of Willis that needs bridging so it can be understood what's happening on Sundays. It's maddening to see a quarterback get sacked; there's no doubt about that. Still, Willis possesses rare athleticism for the position and a rocket launcher for an arm — both are tools that need refining.
The feeling-out process that we are bearing witness to is Willis learning how to balance when to take what's there, even if it's a short gain, and when to try to hunt for a big play deep down the field. It's a fair critique to say he might need to take what's available more often. The notion that he's processing slowly is off-base, though.
Perhaps the numbers will make the case better than anyone else could. Courtesy of Pro Football Focus, here are the 10 qualified quarterbacks with the longest time to throw so far in 2026:
1. Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears) – 3.7 seconds.
2. Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders) – 3.44 seconds.
3. Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles) – 3.38 seconds.
4. Kyler Murray (Minnesota Vikings) – 3.34 seconds.
5. Sam Darnold (Seattle Seahawks) – 3.22 seconds.
6. Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens) – 3.19 seconds.
T7. Malik Willis (Miami Dolphins) & Drake Maye (New England Patriots) – 3.18 seconds.
T9. Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills) & Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – 3.13 seconds.
The list isn't perfect. Playing the position in a way that is akin to multiple MVPs, a couple of Super Bowl-winning QBs, and a few recent No. 1 overall picks might just mean Willis is doing something right. It's also not exactly breaking news that the Dolphins have perhaps the worst offensive arsenal in the NFL.
You also don't just need to take our word for it. Dolphins' offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik confirmed as much, calling Willis' play-extending ability his "superpower."
Dolphins OC Bobby Slowik said extending plays is Malik Willis’ “superpower” but they’re working on finding the balance between keeping plays alive and getting the ball out quickly, situationally:
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) September 18, 2026
“Me and him working together in that regard on making sure that he still has the…
If the Dolphins wanted to bury their heads in the sand, they could've signed an immobile veteran like Joe Flacco or just stuck with Tua Tagovailoa for another year while fans continued to long for a modern offense in Miami. Malik Willis hasn't been perfect, far from it, in fact. He's nonetheless given the Dolphins a rushing element at quarterback that they've never had.
The best rushing season by a Dolphins quarterback in team history was Jay Fiedler's 321 yards in 2001. Willis is on pace for north of 550 yards if he keeps his current pace. This is what football looks like in the 2020s, and fans may just need some time to adjust to what they're seeing.
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