When the Miami Dolphins decided to invest in Malik Willis to start the Jon-Eric Sullivan/Jeff Hafley era, fans were relatively excited. No one expected a playoff run, and no one expected the season to be anything different than what it has become.
Fans knew the Dolphins were going to struggle, and after the Jaylen Waddle trade, most fans knew that Willis was going to struggle, too. Four weeks into the season, the reviews are mixed, but offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik is coming to Willis' defense.
Dolphins OC Bobby Slowik was asked whether Willis simply not seeing open WRs - and throwing elsewhere - has been a problem. "Anytime you sit there and use a clicker and rewind a play six times and question a decision of someone doing the hardest thing in sports, which is playing…
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) October 8, 2026
Miami Dolphins Malik Willis is getting an early pass, but he still needs to be better
We won't play the game of reading too far into what Slowik is saying here. He is absolutely correct that it's much easier to find mistakes in a player's game when you can rewind it back and forth. Earlier in the week, Jeff Hafley also defended Willis' play on the field when discussing making plays in the moment. More importantly, deciding in that split-second moment.
Here is the "but" that they are not talking about loudly enough. Four weeks into the season, and Willis isn't progressing. From completion percentages to yardage to his decision-making, Willis has been inconsistent, and that is being generous.
Will has yet to have a game in which he has completed more than 60.9% of his passes. His next-best completion percentage was 55.6% in Weeks 1 and 3.
There is a strong argument that can be made about the Dolphins' WRs. Our own Dante Walker spelled out their separation problems, but anyone who is not seeing Willis miss open receivers, even when not under pressure, is watching a different game.
Four weeks into the season, Willis still looks like a quarterback who doesn't know exactly what he is doing. He isn't letting the game come to him, and he isn't showing faith in his receivers. Part of this could be due to Caleb Douglas being out.
Slowik is smart to defend his QB, and frankly, it's the only choice he has. Willis wasn't brought in to win the Super Bowl; he was brought in to be a caretaker and set a higher standard than what the organization has had. In that area, he is excelling. On the field, he is lagging behind.
I won't pretend to know what Dolphins fans are thinking. Some see exactly what Slowik pointed out, and others see a QB who is struggling. My eye test says he isn't improving. I don't have the faith that he can lead a game-winning drive, but I also don't have faith that the offensive line won't be flagged for a false start.
There are a lot of reasons why Willis isn't playing at the level the Dolphins need him to be, but the top QBs in this league know exactly where to put the ball when making a split-second decision. Willis isn't there yet.
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