Malik Willis finally has a chance to prove he belongs as a starter, but former Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick isn’t convinced the situation is as promising as it looks. Even though Willis will be entering his fifth NFL season, Fitzpatrick raised concerns that the current Dolphins QB1’s experience could spell trouble for the franchise.
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“Look at the way that their roster is constructed this year,” Fitzpatrick said on the Fitz & Whit Show. “You feel bad for them because they have the most dead cap in NFL history: $182 million… You’ve got a first-time head coach, Jeff Hafley… Now, Malik Willis. Really excited for his opportunity. They bring him in.
“Do you know how many games Malik Willis has started in his NFL career? Two? [Six] Six games in his NFL career. So excited for him, but he doesn’t have a lot of experience, and he’s playing with guys around him. I mentioned that age, 25, and that have no experience in the NFL. So there’s going to be a lot of figuring it out as we go.”
Malik Willis joined the NFL in 2022 when the Tennessee Titans drafted him in the fourth round. But after two seasons with the Titans (2022-2023), followed by two seasons with the Green Bay Packers (2024-2025), Willis only played as a backup QB.
In Tennessee, Ryan Tannehill and Will Levis were prioritized. Then in Green Bay, Jordan Love took over for the 25-year-old quarterback. So, Willis never really had consistent game time and has started only six games in the league.
After Tua Tagovailoa’s move away from the franchise, the Miami Dolphins replaced him by signing Malik Willis to a three-year, $67.5 million deal.
Willis joined a familiar face in Miami as former Packers DC Jeff Hafley was signed by the franchise as their new head coach.
Hafley, in his first HC stint, is quite excited to enter the 2026 season with Willis as his QB1.
“He’s just got this cool demeanor about him where guys kind of gravitate to him, where chaos could be going on around him, and he still has that same look on his face whether we’re winning or losing,” Hafley said.
Yet Fitzpatrick is skeptical about the team overall and Malik Willis’ first season as a franchise quarterback and even made a bold prediction on the Dolphins’ 2026 performance.
“If the Dolphins lose to the Raiders in Vegas on Sunday, I think they’re going to go 0-17 this year. I think they’ll be the first team in NFL history to go 0-17.”
In the preseason, the Miami Dolphins went 0-3, and Malik Willis only made a solo appearance against the Washington Commanders on August 14. Considering that, the Dolphins haven’t shown much to look forward to in the regular season.
Now, it will be interesting to see how Willis & Co. will perform when they face the Las Vegas Raiders in their Week 1 clash on September 13.