NFL teams spend the offseason selling hope, but a few moves already look like they came with a steep price tag. Three in particular stand out as the league’s worst decisions right now.
The Dolphins made their biggest swing at quarterback by handing Malik Willis a three-year, $67.5 million deal with $45 million fully guaranteed. Miami needed a new answer after moving on from Tua Tagovailoa, and Willis earned a better look after rebuilding his reputation behind Jordan Love in Green Bay.
But there’s a huge gap between flashing promise in limited action and being asked to run an offense for 17 games. Willis has started only a handful of NFL contests, yet the Dolphins are paying him like the uncertainty is gone.
Maybe he turns into a late-blooming franchise quarterback. Right now, though, Miami is acting as if the bet has already paid off.
Indianapolis made a similarly bold move with Daniel Jones, giving him a two-year, $88 million contract after he helped turn the Colts into one of the NFL’s biggest surprises in 2025. Then came the injury.
Jones tore his Achilles in December, and the season unraveled for Indianapolis soon after. Still, the Colts committed $50 million to him in 2026 as he works his way back from one of the toughest injuries a quarterback can face.
The organization clearly didn’t want to lose the stability it finally found, but $44 million per season is a massive commitment for one productive year. They paid to keep the version of Jones they had before the injury.
There’s no guarantee that’s the version they’ll get back.
The most glaring move of all belongs to Pittsburgh, which brought Aaron Rodgers back on a one-year deal worth up to $25 million after winning the AFC North with him last season. That achievement matters.
So does what happened next. Rodgers threw for 146 yards in the Steelers’ 30-6 playoff loss to Houston and turned the ball over twice on plays that were returned for touchdowns.
Even with that ending, Pittsburgh chose to run it back with the 42-year-old quarterback, who has already said this will be his final season.
That decision pushes the Steelers straight into Super Bowl or bust territory, whether they want to say it out loud or not. Will Howard is still waiting for a real chance after losing valuable time in his rookie season, and Pittsburgh used the 76th overall pick on Drew Allar, another possible successor now stuck behind Rodgers.
A farewell tour can make sense when it belongs to the franchise. This one doesn’t.
Rodgers built nearly his entire legacy in Green Bay and has played only one season in Pittsburgh. If he leads another deep playoff run, the gamble will look smart.
If not, the Steelers will have spent a full season delaying their future for a goodbye that never really should have been theirs.
In Other News...
Malik Willis Now Faces The Question Dolphins Fans Dread Most
Jeff Hafley spent part of training camp talking through Malik Willis growth, and for the Dolphins the conversation is about more than just reps. The head coach said the quarterback has made progress since offseason work began, with the focus centered on building confidence and getting better timing with his receivers, two areas that can shape how quickly a new offense settles in.
Willis also put in work with his wideouts away from the team this offseason, a sign the Dolphins are trying to speed up the chemistry process before the games start counting. He had some uneven moments early in the offseason program before settling in later, and with Miamis season outlook already carrying plenty of skepticism, how quickly Willis turns that improvement into steady play may end up mattering as much as anything else on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Camp Tryouts Include Two Names Fans Need To Watch
The Dolphins spent the day before the first practice of training camp taking a longer look at some offensive depth options, bringing in eight players for tryouts as the roster begins to take shape. The group included quarterbacks Jack Plummer and Austin Reed, along with wide receivers Elijhah Badger, Elijah Cooks, Jakobie Keeney-James and Tyler Vaughns, plus tackle Ben Te Kura, giving Miami a chance to poke around at a few different positions before the real camp work gets going.
It is the kind of low-profile roster housekeeping that can matter later, especially when teams are sorting through camp bodies and looking for a player who fits a specific need. Miami was not the only club doing that kind of business, either, with four former Dolphins trying out for Washington and punter Matt Haack reportedly landing a contract there, a reminder that this part of the calendar is as much about opportunity as it is about depth charts. [Read more 🡒]