Malik Willis relies on his physical style of play to move the ball. Whether it's getting out of a collapsing pocket or turning upfield to make a play with his legs. The Miami Dolphins' starting QB needs to stay healthy.
Willis isn't healthy anymore. He powered through two weeks of groin pain that advanced to a muscle issue. On Tuesday, he was placed on injured reserve. For Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley, this has to serve as the wake-up call that Chris Grier never answered.
If the Dolphins are going to be good, even as a competitor, they need reliability at the QB spot. Tua Tagovailoa proved that for six seasons; now Willis is giving the Dolphins more reason to draft a top quarterback prospect in the 2027 draft.
Miami Dolphins need to find a starting quarterback in next year's draft or continue to spin their wheels
There are a large number of fans who would love nothing more than to see Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith drafted by the Dolphins next year. The best player in college football is electric. A game-changer, even, but he can't throw the ball to himself.
Willis doesn't have an extensive injury history. A shoulder problem last year while in Green Bay, a couple of other ailments while in college, and a few other nicks and bruises along the way. All that being said, if the Dolphins want a running quarterback, they need to have a good foundation behind him, or suffer the consequences when something like a groin injury puts him on IR.
Next year, Sullivan can fix the problem by drafting Willis' replacement. There is no reason to draft and start a QB immediately. The Raiders didn't with Fernando Mendoza; the Packers have a long history dating back to Don Majkowski of taking QBs and sitting them for a year or two. The key is they drafted the eventual replacements.
Willis is under contract for two more years, which is ideal for the Dolphins' situation. Taking a guy like Drew Mestemaker of Oklahoma State makes a lot of sense. Smith may be a generational player, but so was Marvin Harrison Jr.
Take the quarterback while you have a chance. That's the only thing that Sullivan needs to write on his board. Miami is almost guaranteed a top-five draft pick next season, given the Willis injury and Zach Sieler's season-ending IR placement.
Next year's draft is far from a sure thing, as many had expected. Several QBs need to stay in school; we are looking at you, Arch Manning. But a guy like Mestemaker could be the swing that changes the Dolphins' fortunes.
Simply put, the Dolphins need to be wary of Willis having this problem again. As a running QB, it's likely to be a problem again at some point. Getting his replacement is now a priority.
Add us as a preferred source on Google