Miami Dolphins
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Chris Perkins believes the Dolphins should avoid Malik Willis
The Miami Dolphins will be adding a quarterback prior to the 2026 season. General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan confirmed this.He said, “We’re going to infuse competition into that room, whether Tua (Tagovailoa) is part of that room, whether he’s not part of the room. We’re going to infuse competition into that room like we will do at every position.”
Whether that is via the draft or free agency remains to be seen. If the Dolphins do move off Tua Tagovailoa, as is expected, that would leave the quarterback room with Quinn Ewers and Cam Miller. Ewers started the final three games for the Dolphins last season, while Miller was signed prior to the regular season finale.
In free agency, the most popular option seems to be former third-round pick Malik Willis, who impressed with the Packers.NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero said of the rumors linking Willis to Miami, “I know that everybody has already photoshopped the Dolphins uniform onto him because of Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan, but the price is going to be high.”
Because the price is high,The South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Chris Perkins said he “doesn’t favor signing Malik Willis.”
The Case Against the Miami Dolphins Signing Malik Willis
Perkins expanded on his reasoning for not wanting the Dolphins to sign Willis. He wrote, “I don’t favor signing Green Bay’s Malik Willis to a three- or four-year free-agent contract that gives him, say, $20 million or more a year (likely more). Willis only has six starts in four years. He’s unproven. Plus, Willis, who played for Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley in Green Bay, isn’t guaranteed to win the starting job. That means you’d basically have $20 million of dead money if he’s a backup.
It’d be wise for the Dolphins to push their long-term quarterback decision to 2027. Get a bridge quarterback for 2026.”
The case against Willis is simple, as Perkins mentioned, he is an unproven quarterback in the league. He does possess a high-ceiling, asESPN analyst Mina Kimes described him as an incredible dual-threat quarterback who’s got a cannon. Players like that are rarely available. The Packers were able to land him after he struggled in limited playing time with the Titans.
With the Packers, Willis showcased his skillset, but due to Green Bay having the position set with Jordan Love, he did not get meaningful playing time. If Willis was able to do what he did in three starts with the Packers over a full season, he would be among the top starters in the NFL. However, the risk involved is paying $20 million per year to Willis and only to have those performances be an aberration.
Alternative Options for the Dolphins
Fortunately for the Dolphins, Willis is not the only option in free agency. Whether the alternatives are good options can be debated, though. Chris Perkins gave a suggestion as to what the Dolphins should do, as he said, “If I’m the Dolphins, my training camp quarterbacks would include returnee Quinn Ewers, a rookie draftee (no later than the third round) and a veteran with starting experience (Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins?).”
In terms of Kirk Cousins, he will likely be released from Atlanta. Whether he wants to play on a team that seems poised to rebuild in 2026 seems unlikely, unless he does not have better options in the open market. The odds of landing a starting quarterback seem slim in this draft, as many project only Fernando Mendoza to go in the first round, and he will likely be drafted by the Raiders with the first overall pick.
Other potential options include quarterbacks like Arizona’s Kyler Murray, Derek Carr, Cincinnati’s Joe Flacco or New York’s Russell Wilson.