Malik Willis
Getty
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - DECEMBER 27: Malik Willis #2 of the Green Bay Packers throws a pass in the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Lambeau Field on December 27, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
It didn’t take long for now former Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis to find a new home once the legal tampering period opened on March 9. Willis is now set to become the Miami Dolphins’ starting quarterback in 2026.
Willis signed a three-year, $67.5 million deal that includes a $22.25 million signing bonus and $45 million guaranteed overall with the Dolphins.
The move didn’t come out of nowhere. It had already been speculated for some time that Willis could land in Miami after Jeff Hafley left Green Bay as defensive coordinator to become the Dolphins’ new head coach.
Now both Willis and Hafley depart Green Bay with plenty of expectations waiting in South Florida. Willis, in particular, was viewed as one of the top quarterbacks available during this free-agent cycle.
Of course, when you sign a deal north of $60 million, the expectations that come with it are obvious. But when any quarterback takes the field for the Dolphins, one question continues to linger.
How do you play in the cold?
Malik Willis’ Cold Weather Record Raises Questions
One of the biggest problems the Dolphins have faced over the last several years is their inability to win in cold-weather games.
Miami has now lost 14 straight games when the temperature at kickoff drops below 40 degrees. Overall, the franchise holds a 25-49-1 record in those conditions.
Their previous quarterback, recently released Tua Tagovailoa, never solved that issue either. Tagovailoa went 0-7 in games where the temperature dipped below that mark.
Unfortunately for Miami, Willis doesn’t have a strong record in those conditions either.
“Malik Willis is 0-2 as starter when the temperature is under 40 degrees at kickoff,” Palm Beach Post’s Joe Schad reported.
The first game came on Dec. 24, 2022 while Willis was with the Tennessee Titans. Temperatures dropped to 22 degrees that day and the Titans fell to the Houston Texans 19-14.
The second came this past season with the Packers. On Dec. 27 against the Baltimore Ravens, the temperature sat at 38 degrees and Green Bay lost 41-24.
Packers Never Truly Saw Willis Tested in the Cold
Ironically, Willis spent the last two seasons playing in Green Bay — one of the coldest environments in the NFL once winter arrives.
The problem is he never really had the opportunity to gain meaningful starting experience in those conditions.
One of the knocks on Willis entering free agency was his lack of starting experience. Through four seasons in the league he has made just six starts, going 3-3 overall while appearing in 22 games split between Tennessee and Green Bay.
His three starts with the Titans all came during his rookie season. Two took place in late October and early November, while the third was the Christmas Eve loss to Houston.
His first two starts with the Packers came early in the 2024 season when he stepped in for an injured Jordan Love. Both of those games took place in September before Green Bay’s late-season cold weather truly arrived.
His final start with the Packers came in the December loss to Baltimore.
Schad’s note obviously doesn’t mean Willis can’t win in cold-weather environments. If anything, the small sample size leaves plenty of room for improvement.
Still, anytime Dolphins fans hear about quarterbacks and cold weather, they probably get a cold chill down their spine.