The Miami Dolphins knew who they wanted their quarterback to be this season.
They only handed out one multi-year contract in the most recent free agent period, and it was for Malik Willis. He had been the Green Bay Packers‘ backup, but the Dolphins saw him as their starter.
There was never a competition or anything like that. Once Willis arrived in Miami, this was his team, at least for this season.
The Dolphins, though, have started 0-4, which creates some time for considering what Willis’ role in all this has been.
When you really break it down, it becomes clear the Dolphins have a dilemma on their hands.
Dolphins’ 2 Timelines
Back when the NBA’s dynastic Golden State Warriors started to age, they were discussed by many as having two timelines.
On one timeline was the idea that Steph Curry should have as long of a runway as possible to win more championships.
On the other timeline was the fact that they needed to have at least some plan for what would happen when Curry’s decline came — that path included failed draft picks like James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga.
The Dolphins have not been a dynasty in recent years, but specifically with Willis, they do seem to be stuck a bit in two timelines.
They’re trying to build a roster for the future.
Willis is trying to prove he belongs as a part of that future.
Roster Woes
The roster around Willis hardly seems good enough to gauge how good Willis actually is, especially with De’Von Achane out for the season with a torn ACL.
“As Miami progresses through what people inside the building have described as a developmental season, Willis is tasked with leading an inexperienced offense while playing well enough to stave off any temptation to by the franchise to draft a quarterback next spring,” ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques wrote in a new article on Tuesday.
Louis-Jacques goes on to share this:
“The start to his Dolphins career hasn’t matched his success in Green Bay, albeit with a much less accomplished supporting cast. Through four games, Willis ranks 27th in the league in QBR, 18th in passing yards and 29th in completion percentage. He also owns the 13th-longest average time before pass according to TruMedia, at 2.93 seconds; the league average is 2.86 seconds. He has also been one of the most hit quarterbacks in the league, having been sacked nine times and hit 33 times.”
How do the Dolphins analyze what is the fault of Willis and what is the fault of those around him? It’s a tricky task.
Add to that the fact that the 2027 NFL Draft class is expected to have strong quarterbacks, and it gets even tougher to know what the future holds.
Willis is trying to prove he’s a franchise QB while playing for a team that isn’t maximizing his talents. And if not much changes the rest of this season, the Dolphins are going to face the dilemma of deciding how much they believe in Willis as a guy who can lead a better roster when all they’ve seen him with is one of the worst rosters in the league.
Dolphins’ Malik Willis Dilemma Made Clear by ESPN