Andrew Buller-Russ
It’s a whole new vibe in South Beach after the Miami Dolphins moved on from general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel. The new regime, led by GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley, has wasted no time putting its fingerprints all over this franchise.
It all started with trimming Tua Tagovailoa from the roster, even if it meant a record-setting $99 million dead cap charge for the 2026 NFL league year. The moves that have followed have been just as notable, with the Dolphins releasing a pair of Pro Bowl players in Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb. They’ve also traded a pair of Pro Bowlers, sending Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Jets for a lottery scratch-off, and getting top value for Jaylen Waddle.
Now, it’s time to rebuild this thing from the ground up. One of the most challenging aspects in the aftermath of moving on from one franchise QB in Tagovailoa, was how the Dolphins would find their next solution under center. It didn’t take long.
The Dolphins signed one of the top free agent quarterbacks available, inking Malik Willis to a three-year, $67.5 million contract, worth $45 million guaranteed. The decision is sure to draw criticism from football critics all throughout the industry. Yet, some absolutely loved the move for Miami.
Count ESPN’s Seth Walder as one NFL analyst who thinks the Dolphins made one of the best signings in free agency this offseason. For a Dolphins team that didn’t have a clear path forward at QB, Walder believes Miami found exactly what they need in taking a chance on the upside Willis represents.
“It is very hard to find a franchise quarterback in free agency, and I’m not saying that’s what Willis is, or even likely to be. And the Willis signing doesn’t even cost that much. At $22.5 million per year, the contract is a bargain considering what Willis could become. But even more than for most deals, the most important part of this contract is the $45 million that’s fully guaranteed at signing. Because if Willis fails, that’s how much Miami will have to pay. And if he succeeds, they’ll end up needing to sign him to a new contract right away anyway.”
ESPN’s Seth Walder on Malik Willis
Sure, there are obvious potential drawbacks with a quarterback who has made just six starts since arriving as a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Willis is far from a proven product. Yet the Dolphins, who have two key decision-makers at the top who were with Willis in Green Bay, are confident in the 26-year-old dual-threat QB developing into a star in South Beach.
Related: Teams Keep Trying to Trade for Another Miami Dolphins Pro Bowler
