The Miami Dolphins offense is currently in crisis following Tyreek Hill and Jayden Waddle’s exit, in addition to former quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Only a few expected the transition to look this uncertain. Earlier this offseason, Miami signed quarterback Malik Willis, with 1,322 passing yards across four seasons, as Tagovailoa’s replacement. Now, as the season approaches, the quarterback is under pressure while trying to build chemistry among a new offensive line.

“I think it’s a work in progress. We’ve had six practices with limited reps. So I just think it’s going to take time,” said Dolphins HC Jeff Hafley when asked about Willis and his pass catchers. “I think it’s improved. It’s going to be a work in progress. And it’s going to take a lot of reps, just like it would with any new quarterback and new wide receiver group. And then you add in we’ve got a lot of young wideouts that just came in.”

Miami completely dismantled its former core ahead of the 2026 season. They released quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill in February, and traded star WR Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos in March. Simultaneously, the Dolphins also made a few additions to revamp their roster.

Malik Willis signed a three-year, $67.5 million contract to serve as the new starting QB of Miami, followed by the addition of Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell, Caleb Douglas, and Chris Bell into the wide receiver room. However, as things stand, no player is anywhere close to becoming the No. 1 receiver for the Dolphins yet. And according to Hafley, the chemistry issues still linger over the new signings.

Willis will be entering his fifth year after playing for the Tennessee Titans and the Green Bay Packers in the last four seasons. His pass catchers also come with a similar level of experience, especially Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell. In 55 career games for the Dallas Cowboys, Tolbert racked up 1,093 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Atwell, who was with the Los Angeles Rams, posted 1,535 receiving yards and 5 TDs in 64 regular-season games.

The new offensive signings are aware that adjusting to a new setup and a new signal-caller would take time.

“It’s a fresh start for real, everybody is new,” said Atwell. “It’s a different environment, different organization, and I’m just taking it day by day. Just learning how they run things here, do things here, but overall it’s great coaches, great teammates. I’m just happy to be here and be home.”

Yet, Malik Willis isn’t leaving any chance to gel with his new teammates. According to reports, Willis has found a way to build trust by hosting dinner parties and off-field get-togethers. In his mind, the thought process is quite clear. He must take the initiative to bring the entire offensive unit together.

“I think all of them have been doing a great job from top to bottom,” said Willis. “Everybody has the right mindset to come in and work. And just do the best that they can to show what they can do. I feel like it’s an opportunity for all of us. It’s a bunch of new faces, whether it’s rookies or guys that have been here, but we’re all in front of new guys for the first time, and we got to try to continue to show what we can do.”

The Dolphins’ newly appointed general manager, Jon-Eric Sullivan, and head coach Jeff Hafley believed revamping the roster to be a necessary step for the franchise’s success ahead,

“So understand all the R words, retool, rebuild, refocus, I don’t like that,” said Sullivan. “I think that gives the connotation of, ‘hey, look, we’re mailing it in this year.’ That’s 100% not what’s going on. We’re here to compete and play our a** off and try to win football games as we build this thing out. That’s the culture we want to be. We want people who embrace that underdog mentality.”

The Dolphins finished the 2025 season third in the AFC East with a 7-10 record. And much of the criticism went towards QB Tua Tagovailoa’s performance. Following his breakout 2023 season, where he posted 4,624 passing yards and 28 TDs in 17 regular-season games, he struggled in the following years.

In 2025, the 28-year-old threw a career-high 15 interceptions and fumbled eight times in just 14 games. His inability to handle pressure or perform against top defenses forced management to bench him late in the season for rookie Quinn Ewers. Eventually, at the end of the season, Miami released Tagovailoa, leaving an opportunity for the Falcons to grab him.

The exit of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle also left a hole in the Dolphins’ offensive squad. Hill recorded 4,733 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns, while Waddle posted 5,039 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns for Miami. Nevertheless, Malik Willis, along with HC Jeff Haffley, is hopeful to find stability in the new unit as they continue working through the areas of improvement.