The dust is starting to settle on a busy start to free agency for general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and the Miami Dolphins. Stephen Ross chose his GM, and now, the GM has made his first big move of his young career running a football team. Malik Willis has reunited with head coach Jeff Hafley, signing a three-year deal to be the new starting quarterback.
Fans are skeptical. They should be. Miami has a long history of failed attempts to land a starting franchise quarterback. Ultimately, Willis may fail as well. He certainly is being set up to do so with the Dolphins over the next two seasons.
It sounds like a downer, but it's reality. Miami is going to be pushing to spend money, trading draft capital to gain more draft capital. They will shuffle the roster, get rid of players that don't fit, all in the span of the next two seasons. Willis, however, is an exciting addition that fans should be thrilled about.
Malik Willis is the bridge quarterback to the Miami Dolphins future and no one is saying why
On the surface, fans are seeing "three years, $67.5 million, $45 million guaranteed." Those are just numbers. It's essentially a two-year deal. The excitement comes in a different form. The QB himself.
Willis is only 26-years-old. He is still developing, and more importantly, he hasn't been weighed down by poor coaching that threw him into the fire to let him burn. Since leaving the Titans two seasons ago, he has been progressing at a pace that most young QBs should be.
Willis knows how to play football. He has been through the adversity of being a backup when he was drafted to start. He has stuck to the grindstone and worked to get better. Sullivan sees a leader in Willis. He has been reported to have said that "when Willis enters a room, everyone knows he is the guy." True or not, Willis will get to prove it.
Malik Willis is worth it ALL for the Dolphins
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) March 9, 2026
The film is so much better than you think…timing, touch, & anticipation.
Huge signing for Miami Dolphins pic.twitter.com/Kco0y4dUfu
Willis brings more than just leadership. He is a physical runner with running back speed. Not something Tagovailoa could bring to the table. Miami runs an RPO system that was scaled back due to the limitations of their QB. That won't be the case with Willis and De'Von Achane on the field.
The new Dolphins' QB also brings an ability to read through progressions faster than what Tagovailoa was able to do. One of Tua's biggest problems was the two-read check-down. Willis may not have a lengthy tape, but he has shown an ability to use looks to change the way a defensive player is covering a receiver, and he has shown an ability to read defensive adjustments and make the play.
In 2025, Dolphins fans got a brief glimpse of what Quinn Ewers could do moving around and out of the pocket. Willis has shown he can do it better, quicker, and with the same amount of consistency.
Most importantly, in all of this, is that the Dolphins are not paying him to lead them to the playoffs. They are paying him to help change the character of the team. Paying him for what he could become. There will be no expectations to win now because there isn't any on Sullivan and Hafley.
In 2027, the Dolphins are going to draft a quarterback, potentially one early in the first round, depending on the 2026 outcome. Willis probably won't change that, not in just a year, but if he plays well, that rookie gets more time to learn. It's the Packers' way. Brett Favre - Aaron Rodgers - Jordan Love. None of them started day one, and a Dolphins rookie won't either.