Getty
The Dolphins received competition for Malik Willis
As the offseason begins, one thing has become clear for the Miami Dolphins. Tua Tagovailoa will no longer be their starting quarterback. After being viewed as a franchise quarterback worthy of an extension, the team will hope to trade the quarterback, but if they are unable to find a partner, the expectation is he will be released. Now, the Dolphins must figure out who will be their starting quarterback for the 2026 season.
Seventh-round rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers started the final three games of the season. After the season, new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik commented on Ewers, saying, “Everybody saw how he worked when he was on scout team and waiting for his chance, and how much he improved through the course of the season. For him to be able to go out and really, by and large, put into practice in the game the things that he had been working on and improved on, and not let the game get too big, that is a great starting point for a young quarterback.
He handled the pocket really well, he handled progressions and reads really well. I think the hardest thing for a young quarterback to do is handle the operation, motions and snap points. There is a lot of stuff on their plate, and he knocked that stuff out of the park.”
While the team may opt to go with Ewers as their starting quarterback in 2026, a new possibility has emerged and it comes via free agency. However, that new possibility also carries a possible competitor for his services.
Miami Dolphins Get Competition for Malik Willis
After the Miami Dolphins hired the Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan as their general manager, the team has been linked with Packers quarterback Malik Willis, who is set to be a free agent. Speculation only grew after Miami hired Green Bay’s defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as their new head coach.
Regarding Willis, the Dolphins received some bad news as they may have competition for him. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote, “Two teams I’ll be watching to pursue Malik Willis, if they can find someone to take their current quarterbacks, are the Cardinals and Dolphins. The ties are obvious: New Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley got a head start on Willis from Green Bay, and new Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur can get intimate knowledge of Willis’ game from LaFleur’s brother, Matt.”
The Cardinals are in a similar situation to the Dolphins as they also want to move off the contract of their expensive quarterback, Kyler Murray. Fowler also added that he had previously expected the Browns to go after Willis, but it seems new head coach Todd Monken will try to build around Shedeur Sanders instead.
Malik Willis’ Free Agency
Due to the lack of quarterbacks available on the open market, Willis may come at a high price despite his lack of playing time in the NFL. Miami is currently the team with the fourth-least cap space in the NFL. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, Arizona is projected to have over $40 million in available cap space this season, according to OverTheCap.
The Dolphins will free up substantial cap space once they release Tyreek Hill, and determine what to do with Bradley Chubb and Tua Tagovailoa. The team could opt to get creative with Willis’ contract and backload it, making it easier for the team in the 2026 season.
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
More Heavy on Dolphins
Loading more stories