Just because you can throw a football doesn't mean you can throw a baseball. Not every athlete can excel in other sports, just ask Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis.
The Dolphins' new starting QB threw out the first pitch for the Marlins game on Friday night, and he is probably wishing no one had a camera. Needless to say, Dolphins fans are hoping for a much better result on the gridiron.
New Dolphins QB Malik Willis threw out the first pitch Friday night: pic.twitter.com/5UuWB2jW3M
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 2, 2026
Miami Dolphins' QB Malik Willis totally whiffs throwing out the first pitch for the Marlins
There isn't anything wrong with missing as badly as Willis did. Joe Burrow, famously, or infamously, was at the 2025 Fan Fest in New York, where he repeatedly tried to throw a strike but couldn't come close to the zone.
Willis had one shot, Burrow had a few. It's not a huge deal, and no one is having a fit over it. It's just funny at the end of the day, and Willis took it all in stride. He did much better in the batting cage, where he struck a 109.6 mph exit velocity ball.
Willis joins elite company in his errant throwing. Patrick Mahomes sailed a ceremonial first pitch, and even Tom Brady dribbled one to home plate in one of his first-pitch visits to the mound.
Dolphins fans might get a giggle out of this, but it will be what he does on the football field that will hold their interest and their criticism. The Dolphins believe that Willis can be their franchise quarterback, but they also know he is a long way from proving it.
Miami signed him to a three-year deal at the start of free agency for more than $54 million. The hope is that by the time they are ready to compete, Willis has taken the necessary steps to become a top NFL quarterback.
The interesting situation in the Willis signing is that Miami will likely be faced with a top-five, maybe top-three draft pick in next year's draft. If that happens, will they risk passing on a potential young franchise quarterback for someone else with the hope that Willis is the real deal?
For now, it doesn't matter. There is a lot of time between today and the 2027 NFL Draft, almost as much air as was in Willis' ball that sailed over the catcher's head.