Dolphins' Malik Willis rumors heat up after hiring of his old GM

The Miami Dolphins' offseason conversation has been dominated by what the plan at quarterback is going to be in 2026, and for good reason. Ever since Tua Tagovailoa was unceremoniously benched with three games left to play last season, fans have known that a change was coming at the most important position in sports.

General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley have expertly danced around questions about Tua's future and how they plan to address QB this offseason, but rumors regarding who they will be going after persist. The hot name is one many teams are expected to be interested in this offseason: Green Bay Packers QB Malik Willis.

The Dolphins' new braintrust has obvious ties to Willis from the two years they spent with him in Green Bay, but another new addition to Miami's front office has a direct connection to the talented young passer as well.

Late Monday night, multiple reports revealed that former Titans GM Jon Robinson was being hired as the Dolphins' Senior Personnel Director. Not only does the hire bring an experienced evaluator into the fold, but he is also the man who drafted Willis back in 2022 while still with Tennessee.

Miami Dolphins hiring Jon Robinson fuels speculation about their interest in Malik Willis

There were already plenty of reasons to connect Willis to Miami before Robinson was brought on, but the rumors are about to grow even louder now that the GM who drafted him out of Liberty is in the building.

Things infamously didn't work out for either in Tennessee, with Robinson being fired before the 2022 season ended and Willis being shipped out of town in 2024 after just three starts and 65 passing attempts as a Titan.

Robinson has been out of the league ever since, earning a few interviews but not landing any new gigs until the Dolphins came calling. Willis, meanwhile, has parlayed a few very impressive starts in Green Bay into being a coveted free agent this offseason. Could the two look to reunite and try to help each other succeed after failing years ago?

It's a compelling story to follow, and one that could easily come to pass. However, there are plenty of roadblocks that Miami still has to work around for it to become a reality.

Willis will have a big market thanks to a lack of quality QB prospects in the 2026 NFL draft, as well as a typically shallow pool of free agents behind him. His lack of extensive playing time should keep his contract from ballooning to ridiculous levels, but don't be surprised if his yearly salary creeps into the $30 million range.

Is that a price the Dolphins can/are willing to pay? It would be a hard sell given their cap situation, but it's rare for a QB this young (just 26 years old) and talented to hit the open market, even if he is still an unknown in many ways. Considering the alternatives, however, maybe Miami should take the risk and make room to add the potential star passer.