The Dolphins made a costly break from Tua Tagovailoa this offseason, and the reset at quarterback came with a very different kind of bet.
After five seasons and two head coaches, Miami moved on from Tagovailoa and ate the financial pain that came with it. The Dolphins took on $55 million in dead salary cap commitments from the four-year, $212 million extension he signed in 2024, with another $43 million in dead space set to hit next offseason, per Over the Cap. In his place, Miami turned to Malik Willis, signing the former Tennessee Titans quarterback and Green Bay Packers backup to a three-year, $67.5 million deal that can function like a two-year audition with limited dead cap lingering in 2028.
For Willis, the deal is a chance to show he can be more than a stopgap. For the Dolphins, it’s a test to see whether his recent run of efficient play can hold up in a much tougher environment.
Willis rebuilt his stock in Green Bay, where he became one of the league’s most useful backup quarterbacks over the last two seasons. In 11 games, including three starts, filling in for Jordan Love, he completed 78 percent of his passes, averaged just under 11 yards per attempt and threw six touchdowns without an interception.
He also added 262 rushing yards and three scores on 6.2 yards per carry. The sample was small, but among quarterbacks with at least 120 snaps over the last two years, his 0.377 expected points added ranked first in the NFL, ahead of Josh Allen’s 0.277.
That level of efficiency is not something Miami can expect to simply copy and paste. The Packers gave Willis a favorable setup: a system that created room for receivers and tight ends, plus a simplified playbook under Matt LaFleur. He was also allowed to use his legs when his first and second reads weren’t there, and his time to throw and sack rate both dropped noticeably in Green Bay.
The result was a quarterback who looked more comfortable, more in control and more dangerous than the player who washed out in Tennessee. He didn’t win a late-season start against the Baltimore Ravens, but he still played well in extended action in Weeks 16 and 17, enough to make him one of the more interesting free agents on the market.
Now the challenge gets harder. Jeff Hafley, in his first year as Dolphins head coach, knows Willis well from two seasons of seeing him in practice as Green Bay’s defensive coordinator, and he appears ready to give him a long leash that could stretch into 2027. Miami is betting on patience because the roster around him does not exactly scream stability.
Willis is moving from one of the league’s deeper young receiver groups to a depth chart led by Caleb Douglas, Tutu Atwell, Malik Washington and Jalen Tolbert. There is help in the backfield from De’Von Achane, and Greg Dulcich is a tight end who might have figured it out. But the overall talent level in Miami is nowhere near what Willis had in Wisconsin.
What the Dolphins need most is the same thing he showed with the Packers: clean decision-making. He was decisive, accurate and careful with the ball, finishing with just two turnovers, both fumbles, in Green Bay. Miami will probably spend plenty of time chasing games this season, which could tempt Willis into chasing numbers the hard way.
If he stays patient, takes what’s there and keeps the offense on schedule, 2026 can be viewed as a win no matter what the record says. If he starts pressing against an underwhelming supporting cast, the pressure will build quickly, and Miami could find itself looking for its next quarterback by 2027.
In Other News...
Dolphins Face A Bigger Passing-Game Question After Preseason Swing
The Dolphins got a useful look at themselves against Washington in a joint practice and preseason game, but the bigger takeaway was how quickly the matchup turned into a test of depth and decision-making. Both teams held several starters out or limited, and Miami jumped out to an early 7-0 lead before the night settled into the kind of evaluation-heavy football that usually tells coaches more about roster spots than the scoreboard.
Washington announced 26 players, including key starters, would not play, which only added to the uncertainty around what either side was really showing. Still, the game carried a reminder that the passing game can change fast when the quarterback rotation shifts, and the Dolphins left with another layer to sort through as they keep assessing how their offense looks once the preseason reps start getting handed around. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Leave First Preseason Test With Two Concerns Fans Noticed
The Dolphins first preseason test offered a little of everything, starting with a crisp opening drive that ended in a touchdown before the offense settled into a much shakier rhythm. Malik Willis got Miami moving early, but the backups had a harder time sustaining anything consistent, and the passing game never found much traction after that opening burst. Even in a loss to Washington, there were enough encouraging individual moments up front and on the defensive side to suggest some parts of the roster are trending the right way.
Still, the 20-7 result left two issues hanging over the night for Miami observers. The quarterback play behind the first unit was uneven, with completions hard to come by and interceptions adding to the frustration, while the run defense also gave up too much ground and paid for it in the end zone. For a team trying to sort out depth and identity before the games count, those are the kinds of preseason problems that tend to linger until the next chance to clean them up. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Fans Cant Ignore This Early Tua Comparison
Malik Willis got his first preseason look in a Dolphins uniform and made it count, showing enough poise to settle into the offense and draw praise from coach Jeff Hafley. Miami asked for clean operation and some movement on the opening night of exhibition play, and Willis delivered a steady debut that gave the staff and fans something to watch as the quarterback picture starts to take shape.
Across the league, Tua Tagovailoas new chapter in Atlanta opened far less smoothly, which only sharpened the contrast for Dolphins observers who remember how closely every preseason snap gets judged around here. The early comparison is hard to miss, even if its only one exhibition game for each player, and it leaves Miami with a fresh talking point as the team keeps sorting out what it wants from the position moving forward. [Read more 🡒]