The Dolphins have built a quarterback test around Malik Willis, and the setup looks brutal from the jump.
Miami handed Willis a three-year, $67.5 million deal with $45 million fully guaranteed, signaling that the former Titans prospect and Packers QB2 was finally getting the kind of shot every quarterback wants: a real chance to run a team. Then the roster around him got thinned out in a hurry.
Tyreek Hill is gone. Jaylen Waddle is now in Denver. That leaves Malik Washington as Miami’s leading returning wideout after he finished last season with 46 catches for 317 yards and three touchdowns.
The next wave of targets is projected to be Washington, Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell. There’s some speed and some utility in that group, but no obvious alpha - no receiver who can consistently win coverage, take over a game or rescue a quarterback when the play starts to fall apart.
That matters even more because Willis is being asked to learn Bobby Slowik’s offense under first-year head coach Jeff Hafley while trying to prove he belongs as a full-time starter. He needs clean reads, dependable timing and pass catchers who can separate with regularity. Instead, Miami is banking on several complementary pieces turning into something they have not been yet.
Willis, for his part, has handled the situation the way a quarterback has to. He organized offseason throwing sessions, has shown off impressive deep balls in camp and pushed back publicly against the idea that his receiving corps is short on talent. That’s the script he has to sell.
To be clear, this isn’t a case for keeping an aging, expensive roster together just for the sake of it. Miami’s reset made sense, and the younger receivers deserve their chances.
But there’s still a difference between resetting a roster and setting a quarterback up to be judged in a vacuum. You can’t pay starter money, strip away proven help and then act like the environment doesn’t matter.
If Willis has a rough year, the quick verdict will be that he never had franchise-quarterback material. The bigger question is whether Miami gave him a real opportunity to become one.
In Other News...
Dolphins First Padded Practice Raised Real Questions Up Front
The Dolphins got into pads for the first time in training camp, and the session had the feel of an early measuring stick for both sides of the ball. Miami worked through one-on-one drills but skipped 7-on-7 periods, giving the first real glimpse of how the lines would hold up once contact picked up. Cornerback Ethan Bonner stood out with an interception and tight coverage, while Malik Willis put together a strong passing day as the team sorted through the opening physical tests.
Up front, the review was less tidy. The offensive line showed mixed results, which is exactly the kind of thing that gets more attention once the pads come on, and the absences also mattered with Greg Dulcich and Jamaree Salyer out. Austin Jackson was limited because of injury, leaving the Dolphins with more questions than answers about how settled they are across the front as camp begins to turn from installation to evaluation. [Read more 🡒]
Christian Wilkins Still Looms Over A Bigger Dolphins Question
Clelin Ferrells arrival in Miami brought an immediate reminder of how much Christian Wilkins meant to some of the players who passed through the locker room with him. Ferrell pointed to his former college teammate as a positive influence in his own decision to join the Dolphins, a small but telling note about the kind of presence Wilkins had during his five seasons in Miami before heading to Las Vegas.
Now Wilkins is back on the market, though the conversation around him is much bigger than simple free agency. He has not played in nearly two years, and after a contract dispute with the Raiders, his NFL future is far from settled. Ferrell said he hopes Wilkins draws interest somewhere, but for now the more important question is whether a player who once felt like a foundational piece can actually find his way back onto a field. [Read more 🡒]
Malik Willis Gives Dolphins Fans An Early Reason To Stay Patient
Malik Willis is still in the early stages of settling in with the Dolphins, and the first four practices of training camp have offered a little bit of everything. The new quarterback has flashed enough to show why Miami wanted to take a look, but the staff has kept the emphasis on his passing fundamentals while he gets accustomed to the playbook, the timing and the new faces around him.
For now, the job is less about highlight plays and more about steady progress, which is why the coming weeks matter so much. Willis is still working through that pocket-passing focus as he develops chemistry with teammates, including rookie Caleb Douglas, and the sense around camp is that he is improving without quite being where the Dolphins want him yet. The preseason should provide a better read on how far he can come. [Read more 🡒]