Malik Willis is making it harder to doubt the Dolphins' quarterback plan

When the Miami Dolphins officially moved on from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa this offseason, it would have been fair to assume that they would allow Quinn Ewers (who started the final three games) or a cheap veteran to steer the ship during a rebuilding year in 2026. Instead, new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley brought in fellow Packers alum Malik Willis on a three-year, $67.5 million deal.

While that isn't a significant amount of money for a starting QB these days, it was a ton of money for an unproven player with just six career starts. It's even more money for a team currently with nearly $180 million in dead cap this season.

Yet, through the first two weeks of training camp, it's easy to see why the Dolphins' new regime wanted him to be their QB. Willis turned in a stellar performance in Friday's practice, and the buzz around his potential to shock the NFL is growing day by day.

Malik Willis is starting to show all of the reasons why the Miami Dolphins believe in him

Willis received praise from many of the reporters in attendance at Friday's practice, including Dolphins writer Travis Wingfield. He praised the QB in multiple posts on his X account, including this impressive play where he used his legs to create an open throw.

Even the notoriously hard-to-please Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald gave Willis his flowers, calling Friday's practice his best yet.

Praise from reporters aside, it's clear that Willis has the talent needed to become more than just a bridge to the Dolphins' next franchise QB. The bigger question is whether there is enough talent around him to give him a chance to actually perform well, regardless of his own abilities.

We won't really know the answer to that until the real games begin in September, but the early signs are promising. Malik Washington has stepped up so far and been a big play threat during practice. Rookie Caleb Douglas continued his strong start to his career Friday, as he was on the receiving end of several of Willis' best throws of the day.

The offensive line also looked much better with Austin Jackson back in the lineup, allowing the young QB to push the ball downfield and show off his arm talent. Just check out this play to Douglas as an example.

Overall, you couldn't ask for a much better start to camp for Willis, and it gives Dolphins fans hope that their next star QB may already be on the roster.

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