Despite being in his fifth year in the NFL, Malik Willis has not yet faced off against the New England Patriots in his career. That will change on Sunday, when his Miami Dolphins will host their division rivals at Hard Rock Stadium.
Given their apparent lack of history with one another, one could assume the Patriots are unfamiliar with Willis. That is not the case.
Back in 2022, he entered the league under none other than current New England head coach Mike Vrabel. The Titans, who were coached by Vrabel at
that time, selected Willis in the third round of the draft out of Liberty. And while he never developed into a viable starting option in his two years in Tennessee, his former coach has kept a close eye on him and his career ever since.
“Malik’s continued to develop, and that’s the thing that I’m proud of him for,” Vrabel said earlier this week. “I know that he should be proud of himself to continue to battle and go to Green Bay. I try to stay in communication with him, tell him congrats and that I’m happy for him, and then he gets a deal in Miami.”
Willis was the third QB off the board in the 2022 draft, and regarded as a possible successor to Titans starter Ryan Tannehill. He did end up starting three games during his rookie season, but his performance were not up to the standard of a team hoping to make the playoffs; he ended up ceding the No. 2 position to future Patriot Joshua Dobbs down the stretch.
When the Titans drafted Will Levis in the second round the following year, his fate was essentially sealed. He ended up playing just 22 snaps his sophomore season, and was traded to Green Bay in August 2023.
Once out of Tennessee, his career started trending up again. He was still no full-time starter but did look promising whenever asked to step in for Jordan Love — so much so that Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley took him to Miami with him when he was named Dolphins head coach earlier this year.
Since signing a three-year, $67.5 million contract in March, Willis has not necessarily set the league ablaze. He has gone 87-of-151 for 1,057 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions, plus three rushing touchdowns, while the Dolphins lost five of six games and are ranked toward the bottom of the league in several metrics.
And yet, Mike Vrabel sees him making strides and starting to play to his natural abilities.
“He’s very talented,” he said. “He’s got a strong arm, can throw at different platforms. He’s a strong runner. I think he’s starting to see things a little quicker, a little clearer, just as he’s developed in the NFL.”
