After inking a lucrative contract with the Miami Dolphins, quarterback Malik Willis said goodbye to the Packers. And here are the grades for the $67.5 million contract Willis signed in 2026 NFL free agency.
Willis has been there, but hasn’t done that. He was unable to emerge during two seasons with the Titans, earning only three starts. And with the Packers, he remained behind the scenes.
He basically earned the contract with two terrific late-season games in 2025. He went 9-of-11 for 121 yards and a touchdown against the Bears in a relief role. And he followed up with an 18-of-21 effort against the Ravens, totaling 288 yards and a score. Willis didn’t throw a pick in either game and totaled 104 yards rushing.
Are one and a half good games worth $67.5 million?
The Dolphins are getting ready to find out. Seriously, though, over 30 percent of Willis’ career passing yardage total came from those contests. As a starter in the NFL, he has a career record of 3-3.
Of course, the Dolphins needed a quarterback. They let Tua Tagovailoa go in free agency. Also, first-year Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley knew Willis from their time together in Green Bay.
What did the Dolphins see in Willis? A defensive threat, according to ESPN.
“The Dolphins saw a player who can stress defenses with both his arm and his legs — a trait that their offense lacked over the past few seasons with Tagovailoa,” Marcel Louis-Jacques wrote.
Hafley said he knows what he needs to know about Willis.
“He was our scout team quarterback,” Hafley said. “So a lot of times he really couldn't do what he does best because I was sitting there telling him, if we were playing a dropback guy and he started scrambling, I'd tell him, ‘Hey, you got to stay in the pocket, man. Like, stop scrambling.
“That's not what we're doing today.' And then if we were playing a scrambler, he could kind of play his game and do his thing. “Obviously, him and I have a really good relationship, and he always did a really good job and gave us everything that he had.”
Putting stock in Willis means putting stock in Hafley. And when Hafley ran the show at Boston College from 2020-23, his teams went 22-26. Ho hum, right.
So, it’s hard to find the basis for this being a good move by the Dolphins. It’s a lot of money for a guy who has proven nothing. Here’s a short list of why this is a bad move:
- Nick Foles, Jaguars (2019)
- Brock Osweiler, Texans (2016)
- Matt Flynn, Seahawks (2012)
The Dolphins could add to that list.
Grade for Dolphins: D+
What about the grade for Malik Willis?
Well, obviously, Willis took the Dolphins to the cleaners. The only way he can prove differently is to become an above-.500 starting quarterback in short order.
But there’s a big problem with that. The Dolphins aren’t expected to be a playoff contender anytime soon. They’re closer to a rebuild than contention, even if Willis plays well.
It’s not unreasonable to think Willis could perform well in the long run. It’s just that he hasn’t shown it, even in a reasonable short run.
Therefore …
Grade for Willis: A+
