This offseason, the Miami Dolphins signed Malik Willis to a three-year, $67 million contract to be their new starting quarterback.
Despite Willis being a free agent, there was some familiarity for the Dolphins as head coach Jeff Hafley worked with the quarterback over the past two years while he was the Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator. Additionally, general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan was also a member of the Packers organization as he was the Green Bay vice president of player personnel prior to joining Miami’s front office.
That experience with Willis the past two seasons left Miami feeling comfortable making that sizable investment in the quarterback. However, there are some who still believe Willis may have a short leash with the team. As such, one NFL insider has predicted the Miami Dolphins trading for Baltimore Ravens MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson in case things go awry for Miami in 2026.
Miami Dolphins Quarterback Situation
ESPN’s Dan Graziano listed the Miami Dolphins as one of 16 teams with question marks at the quarterback position heading into the season.
Regarding Miami’s current situation with Willis heading into the 2026 season, Graziano wrote: “Willis is, however, still a speculative play. He has started a total of six NFL games across four seasons since the Titans selected him in the third round of the 2022 draft. He has plenty of talent, and the time spent in Green Bay with Matt LaFleur and that staff seemed to improve his game in many ways. But neither we nor the Dolphins know for sure whether he can hold up as a full-season starter. Add to that the fact that the Dolphins stripped down their roster a fair bit this offseason, including trading away receiver Jaylen Waddle and releasing receiver Tyreek Hill. Willis is left with an inexperienced receiving corps and a rebuilding team that’s projected for a league-low 4.8 wins, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.”
As a result, Graziano detailed a long-shot outcome in which Miami moved on from Willis and traded for Lamar Jackson. He wrote: “The season ends, and Lamar Jackson still doesn’t have that contract extension with Baltimore. Negotiations between Jackson and the Ravens get ugly again, and Baltimore trades him to his hometown Dolphins next March.”
Potential Lamar Jackson Trade
If Lamar Jackson were to ever leave Baltimore, the Dolphins would likely be among the top destinations for the two-time MVP quarterback. Prior to the end of the 2025 season, the Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston linked Jackson to the Dolphins, writing that the South Florida native “would love to play in Miami.”
Miami would likely have to give up a large amount of draft capital in the move. Additionally, the team would have to find a way to move Malik Willis, as the current Dolphins quarterback still has $21 million guaranteed in the 2027 season.
General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has shown that the team is able to move off players despite the large amounts of dead cap, as the Dolphins moved on from Tua Tagovailoa this offseason despite him having $54 million guaranteed in 2026.
Dolphins Predicted to Add MVP Quarterback in Blockbuster Trade