While the calls may be loud, especially on social media, the Miami Dolphins will not be benching struggling quarterback Malik Willis when they head out of their bye next week.
Despite putrid play, questionable decisions, and lackluster stats that are nowhere close to justifying either his contract of his position as starter, Miami will not be trotting backup Kyle McCord out there when they head out of their bye week.
“No” head coach Jeff Hafley said when asked about making a change at quarterback (h/t The Phinsider).
“Malik needs to be better, okay? And that’s not the headline” Hafley added.
“The headline is, we all need to be better. And I mean that. I thought yesterday, for the first time, we ran the ball really well and we moved the ball. We ran for 200 yards against a really good team. But everything in the pass game has to be better. Okay? It’s the receivers. It’s the tight ends. It’s the protection. It all has to tie in. And it all has to be better. And that’s the quarterback. That’s the coaches — the offensive line, the running backs… This is a team game… We will work through that. I have confidence in the coaches. I have confidence in the players that we have. We will work through that and we will get better. It’s five weeks.”
While the numbers certainly justify a move, and with an exhaustedly frustrated fan base ready to turn the page, the Dolphins will be keeping Willis under center for their next game.
Beyond that, it’s not clear, but it’s unlikely given the contract Miami handed Willis this past offseason and Willis being handpicked by the new Dolphins’ brain trust.
Dolphins Will Not Bench Malik Willis for Next Game