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The Miami Dolphins received worrisome news regarding a potential free agent quarterback
The Miami Dolphins will likely be adding a quarterback this offseason to compete with former seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers for the starting job in the 2026 season. This comes after former quarterback Tua Tagovailoa disappointed in the 2025 season, which resulted in the Dolphins being expected to move on from the former Pro Bowler.
Unfortunately, by all indications, the 2026 NFL Draft does not seem like a stellar quarterback class. With the Dolphins front office focused on acquiring as many draft picks as possible, that likely rules out a trade for a quarterback. That leads Miami to the free agent market, which features some intriguing names, including Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis, who is familiar with members of the Miami Dolphins front office and coaching staff.
Miami Dolphins Target Listed as Best Free Agent
Unfortunately for the Dolphins, they will likely not be the only team interested in Willis. NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal revealed his list of the top 101 free agents, and listed Willis at No. 1. He wrote, “I see him as the most dynamic quarterback in football as a runner, and his tape in Green Bay showed incredible growth as a passer over his two years with Matt LaFleur. Despite his limited sample size, Willis jumped to the top spot of this ranking based on the same logic that applies to the NFL draft: If a potential franchise quarterback is good enough to be ranked in the top five of a list like this, then he should be placed first, by virtue of the position. The ceiling is the roof.”
While the Dolphins seemed like the favorites for Willis earlier in the process, recent reports suggest that Willis’ market may be higher than people had originally anticipated. Miami Herald writer Barry Jackson noted that NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport said that he did not know if Miami had the available cap space to land Willis.
Originally, some around the league had assumed Willis would earn a similar contract to Justin Fields’ two-year, $40 million deal with the Jets. However, new reports seem to suggest that Willis’ contract will be in the $30 million to $35 million range annually. With Miami having to pay $54 million to Tua Tagovailoa in 2026, it seems hard to fathom that they would be the highest bidder on Willis.
Dolphins Hire Former General Manager
With general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan being part of the front office that traded for Willis in Green Bay and head coach Jeff Hafley being a member of the coaching staff, the Dolphins are familiar with Willis. Now, they have added another person who is familiar with Willis, as Miami hired former Titans general manager Jon Robinson as their new senior personnel executive.
As the Titans general manager, Robinson drafted Willis in the 2022 NFL Draft. They traded up to draft him, as they gave up third- and fifth-round picks. Regarding Willis, Robinson said, “Good arm, athletic and moves around well. He’s got a really good skill set and throws a good ball. He’s tough to tackle but he’s got a lot of work to do like all of the rookies do.”
Jose Esquer Jose Esquer is a Mexican-American sportswriter and communications student based in San Diego, CA. His work spans football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. He has written for platforms like RotoWire and DolphinsTalk. You can find him on Twitter/X @JEsquer8, usually talking Dolphins, world football, or both. More about Jose Esquer
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