For all the thrill of a doubtlessly busy quarterback carousel this offseason, just one clear starter has signed to date: Malik Willis, who acquired a three-year, $67.5 million deal from the Dolphins that features $45 million assured.
A second starter — Geno Smith — switched groups through commerce, heading from the Raiders to the Jets, however in any other case, the carousel is in a form of nebulous state. What’s going to occur with Kyler Murray? What’s going to occur with Aaron Rodgers? Will Kirk Cousins get one other probability to start out? Who will win the upcoming quarterback battle between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. in Atlanta?
Willis was probably the most intriguing title available on the market. He is younger (26) and even youthful by way of NFL expertise. By way of 4 seasons, he has solely appeared in 22 video games and began six. A 3rd-round choose of the Titans in 2022, Willis hardly performed in his first two seasons. The primary, he spent behind Ryan Tannehill and struggled when known as upon; the second, he spent behind Tannehill and Will Levis.
The Packers took a flyer on Willis, sending a seventh-round choose Tennessee’s manner shortly earlier than the 2024 season started. Willis, at that time, was behind Levis and Mason Rudolph on Tennessee’s depth chart.
By no means anticipating to depend on him a lot, Inexperienced Bay shortly discovered itself with different plans: Jordan Love sprained his MCL in Week 1 of the 2024 season. Willis stepped in and gained in Week 2 and Week 3. He led a game-winning drive after Love suffered a groin harm in Week 8.
It did not finish there. In 2025, Willis made just a few spot appearances and a Week 17 begin in opposition to the Ravens. Each time he performed, he impressed. Amongst 62 quarterbacks with a minimum of 100 dropbacks over the previous two seasons, Willis ranked …
- First in passer ranking (134.6)
- First in yards per try (10.9)
- First in completion proportion (79%)
- First in anticipated factors added per dropback (0.41)
(NOTE: We’ll use this 62-player pattern for all following ranks.)
In fact, it’s a tiny pattern dimension. Willis had the good thing about being a shock starter/fill-in a number of instances; groups did not put together for him. He additionally had the good thing about being underneath Matt LaFleur, whose flexibility and ability as a play caller have been on show. He will not have both profit in Miami. Will it matter? What ought to we anticipate of him as a full-time starter? Let’s dive in.
Strengths
Mobility
Any Willis dialogue has to start out together with his mobility. Throughout his last two school seasons at Liberty, he ran for 1,822 yards and 27 touchdowns. In three profession begins with the Packers, he had 174 speeding yards and three speeding touchdowns. He can boogie.
Willis averaged 8.9 yards per scramble — and he scrambled quite a bit: on over 14% of his dropbacks, the best price within the NFL. Nonetheless, for as inventive a scrambler as he may be, he devastates defenses on designed runs, just like the one above. His 6.9 yards per designed run is one of the best of any quarterback over the previous two seasons, and plenty of probably the most profitable ones got here out of the shotgun, with a play pretend or RPO.
It will likely be completely essential for Dolphins offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik to place Willis in these conditions, particularly with working again De’Von Achane within the fold in Miami. Willis is at his finest utilizing misdirection. He can make the most of one mistaken step by a defender, however extra importantly, he can make the most of even a second of hesitation.
LaFleur used this to his benefit: Over the previous two seasons, Willis used play motion (which incorporates RPOs) on 36% of his dropbacks, the best price within the NFL. The second-highest price belonged to Marcus Mariota, a equally cell participant who, like Willis, needs to push the ball downfield. No matter how they get there — whether or not underneath heart or from the shotgun — Willis and Slowik ought to lean on play fakes that may get Willis on the transfer in a rush.
Arm energy
Willis additionally has a howitzer of an arm, and never simply in your typical deep-ball photographs. Need to see some arm energy that is not only for present? Take a look at the three clips beneath:
These are absolute rips downfield, the kind of throws former Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa could not make. There is no floating on any of those balls. And Willis was greater than prepared to make most of these throws. Over the previous two years, solely Anthony Richardson had the next price of deep ball makes an attempt. In fact, it is a characteristic of the Inexperienced Bay offense — Love had the fourth-highest deep throw price — however the willingness and talent to be aggressive have been spectacular.
Willis’ arm energy has by no means been a doubt. What was actually spectacular in Inexperienced Bay was his skill to mix energy with accuracy, particularly on throws to the perimeter. On throws exterior the numbers over the previous two seasons, Willis averaged an NFL-best 12.9 yards per try, with the league’s highest completion price (80%) and lowest off-target price (5.9%). Once more, he and LaFleur made positive to arrange these alternatives with play motion (39% of dropbacks, first in NFL). And whereas play motion generally is a crutch for some quarterbacks, there is not any denying Willis has produced some jaw-dropping perimeter throws. There are explosive performs in every single place.
Effectively-coached
Lastly, Willis has been well-coached due to his time underneath LaFleur and the Inexperienced Bay workers. He can deal with under-center and shotgun performs, he has improved noticeably, and he can function each on time and when compelled to improvise.
When Willis was wallowing deep on Tennessee’s depth chart two offseasons in the past, nobody might have envisioned he’d sooner or later be a high-level backup, a lot much less a man who now has the chance to start out. It is a gorgeous improvement, and Willis deserves all of the credit score on the planet.
“I do not suppose I put a timeline on it,” Willis mentioned Monday concerning biding his time to grow to be a starter. “I feel it occurred once I was ready. I feel once I got here into the league, I wasn’t ready, and that is not a knock towards my coaches or myself; that is simply what it was coming from the system I got here from, and I’ve had an opportunity to be taught the final 4 years since I have been within the league. I went via 4 completely different offenses and seen a bunch of various defenses, and I simply suppose I’ve grown quite a bit and I am grateful for the chance as soon as once more.”
Malik Willis to signal with the Dolphins: Fantasy Soccer fallout, Dynasty rating, what it means for Achane
Heath Cummings
Weaknesses
In case you solely watched Willis’ highlights, you’d marvel why he solely acquired $22.5 million per yr, which places him among the many most cost-effective non-rookie contract beginning quarterbacks. He appears excellent. The abilities leap off the tape.
If you zoom out, you see some weaknesses.
Holding onto the ball
For instance, one of many causes Willis scrambles quite a bit is as a result of he has to scramble quite a bit. Willis likes to carry onto the ball. His 3.15-second common time to throw was sixth-longest within the NFL over the previous two years. There are some regular suspects — Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Caleb Williams — forward of him. That is the great group. Shedeur Sanders and Tyrod Taylor are additionally forward of him. That is the dangerous group.
Willis’ 11% sack price over the previous two seasons is the fifth-highest within the NFL. The one gamers above him? Deshaun Watson, Kenny Pickett, Levis and Brady Cook dinner. Gamers simply behind him embody Carson Wentz, Justin Fields, J.J. McCarthy and Sanders. Once more, that is a foul group.
Willis’ play model inherently invitations strain — even one of the best offensive strains can solely maintain up so lengthy — and for all his athleticism, Willis does not do a very good job avoiding strain. He is been sacked on 24% of pressured dropbacks over the previous two seasons, the ninth-highest price within the league over that span. Lots of the names within the “dangerous” teams we have already listed encompass him. A number of of the league’s finest quarterbacks, like Love, Matthew Stafford, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and Jackson, are beneath 17%. Love is arguably the league’s finest at this ability; he is solely sacked 10% of the time he is pressured.
Sacks are drive killers. Willis possible will not be afforded the identical offensive line or safety plans in Miami that he had in Inexperienced Bay. The truth is, Slowik’s safety plans have been infamously poor in Houston, and Miami’s offensive line is missing. This can be a essential space for Willis, Slowik and the group as an entire to enhance.
Ball safety
Willis additionally needs to be higher dealing with the ball. He had two aborted snaps final yr, one among which resulted in a turnover. He additionally misplaced a fumble in 2024 when he was blindsided by a blitz.
The nice unknown
Then, in fact, there’s the nice unknown that comes with any quarterback who has hardly performed. Willis was the NFL’s least correct quarterback (by completion proportion) when he was in Tennessee. Then he was the most correct in Inexperienced Bay. As The Athletic explored, a handful of quarterbacks have shone in small pattern sizes. There is no confirmed solution to know who continues that sturdy play and who’s idiot’s gold.
What’s going to Willis do in lesser environment? What’s going to he do when groups have a number of weeks’ price of movie on him? Or when he needs to be extra of a real dropback passer — unable to depend on a heavy dose of play motion — when the Dolphins are trailing?
The nice unknown(s) may be scary and intriguing on the identical time. The Dolphins have made the form of funding in Willis by which they don’t seem to be anchored to him if he does not carry out. Even when he does play decently — and even effectively — they’re possible not near contending. That may put on on a quarterback.
Willis’ success stage will come from how he fixes his weaknesses, how Slowik can assist mitigate these weaknesses and intensify the strengths, and the way prepared Miami is to be affected person because it tries to construct its roster up for the lengthy haul. These are loads of elements that may go in loads of instructions.
