Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis has two years to prove he can lift this team to the playoffs. At least that is how his contract is designed. Miami added the top free agent quarterback minutes after free agency began on Monday. It will become final on March 11th.
Willis agreed to a three-year contract with the Dolphins, but in essence, it is more of a two-year deal with a lot of guaranteed money. Miami is paying him like a low-end starter with room to move on or keep him should things work out.
According to new reports that are surfacing, Miami will be on the hook for $45 million in guarantees, with most of that money in the form of a signing bonus.
Details on Malik Willis' three-year, $67.5 million deal with the Dolphins:
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 9, 2026
$22.5M signing bonus
$1.25M 2026 salary (fully gtd)
$21.5M 2027 salary (fully gtd)
$2M March 2028 roster bonus
$20.5M 2028 salary
$45M over two years for Miami's new QB1, with a decision to make in 2028.
Malik Willis' new contract is good for both the player and the Miami Dolphins
Unlike the Tua Tagovailoa contract that Miami will be climbing out from under over the next two seasons, Willis' deal is team-friendly. Miami is investing in his potential, but not overpaying for the hype surrounding him.
The $22.5 million signing bonus is nothing major. Looking at the third year of his deal, it starts to get interesting. Miami will likely be able to bounce out of that third year without any major cap hits. In 2027, a large, fully guaranteed portion of the contract will be paid, but that, too, is not a lot of money for a quarterback.
Miami should be out from under the deal by 2028, but if Willis is playing well, the $20.8 million salary is ideal for a team that will have eliminated the dead money from releasing Tagovailoa.
In 2026, Willis will carry just an $8.7 million cap hit while Tagovailoa will carry $67.5. The irony here is that in this season alone, Miami will carry more dead money on Tua's contract than they will pay Malik Willis if he reaches his full contract potential.
The Dolphins clearly are anticipating Willis to be their franchise quarterback for at least the next two seasons. That's important because if Willis doesn't show the starting caliber qualities they expect this year, the Dolphins could be in play to draft a top QB in 2027. That QB could sit for a season and take over for Willis when the Dolphins can get out of it in 2028.
Overall, this is a solid contract for a quarterback who has a lot of potential, but unanswered questions as well.