Malik Willis makes his regular-season debut Sunday for the Miami Dolphins when they play at the Las Vegas Raiders. The team's new quarterback - signed as a free agent from Green Bay and reunited with General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and Coach Jeff Hafley - has been given the keys to the offense and now he must produce to keep them.
Willis, 27, originally a third-round pick of the Tennessee Titans, likely is a stop-gap measure for the Dolphins until they can draft a franchise quarterback. But if he exceeds expectations and plays well, it would give Miami other options in the offseason in their rebuilding process.
Here are 5 things you should know about Malik Willis:
Jeff Hafley saw Malik Willis up close in Green Bay
"Malik was our scout team quarterback for most of the year so I got a chance to
work really closely with him," said Hafley, who was the Packers' defensive coordinator. "He gave us the look. So we got really close. Loved the way he prepared. Loved how serious he was."
Willis was traded to the Packers in 2024 for a seventh-round pick. In four NFL seasons, he's played 22 games with only six starts.
Malik Willis a case in perseverance
Willis passed for 2,562 yards and rushed for 1,033 yards with 37 total touchdowns at Roswell (Georgia) High School. He signed with Auburn but when he was passed over for the starting QB job, he transferred to Liberty. He threw 6 touchdown passes and ran for another in a win against Southern Miss in 2020. He was a third-round pick of the Titans but started only three games before the franchise moved on and he landed in Green Bay as Jordan Love's backup.
"All the ups and downs of life, if you can, you can always work towards something better," Willis told The Palm Beach Post's Joe Schad during a Q&A during training camp. "Regardless if it goes better or not, you can work towards something better. And that's the opportunity. It keeps you going."
Dolphins GM on Malik Willis
Sullivan, who signed Willis to a 3-year, $67.5 million deal, gave a scouting report on his QB this summer.
He pointed to his powerful arm as a strong point as well as his running ability. He said he wants to see Willis handle adversity, make good decisions and throw the ball accurately and on time.
"I think the really good ones tilt the field in their favor, maybe when everything around them is not ideal," Sullivan said. "And I think (Malik) has that kind of ability. Now, time will tell."
Malik Willis has shown signs of being a leader
Willis stopped practice one day during training camp to address the offense. Willis had thrown two interceptions and the offense was struggling.
"I think it was just him showing his leadership," Dolphins left tackle Patrick Paul said afterwards. "We're having a lull to start practice. So just him being a leader and bringing us all in to get us all on the same page, take a deep breath, play the next play, don't let it have a trickle effect and he did a great job with that."
Small preseason sample encouraging for Malik Willis
Willis was on the field for only one drive during the three preseason games but led the Dolphins on a 93-yard touchdown drive, completing 4 of 5 passes, holding the ball for more than seven minutes, against the Washington Commanders. He had a 102.5 passer rating.
"Energy and the execution all the way down the field," Willis said of his first drive as a Dolphin.
Now, the games and stats count for real.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Meet Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins starting quarterback for 2026 season
