Malik Willis Contract Terms
After reviving his career with the Green Bay Packers, free agent quarterback Malik Willis has reached an agreement on a three-year, $67.5 million deal with the Miami Dolphins, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Willis' deal includes $45 million fully guaranteed at signing, including a $22.25 million signing bonus, sources told ESPN's Dan Graziano. He will receive fully guaranteed salaries of $1.25 million in 2026 and $21.5 million in 2027.
Fantasy Football Impact for Malik Willis with the Miami Dolphins
Willis, a third-round pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2022, was traded to the Packers shortly before the 2024 season for a seventh-round pick. He started three games for the Packers over the past two seasons, including Weeks 3 and 4 of 2024 -- both wins -- less than a month after joining the team.
Later that season, he replaced an injured Jordan Love in the second half of a win against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a game in which Willis threw a touchdown pass and led the winning drive.
Last season, he appeared in four games with one start and completed 30 of 35 passes for 422 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. He added 123 yards and two touchdowns rushing.
In 11 total appearances with three starts for the Packers, Willis completed 70 of 89 passes (78.6 percent) for 972 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions. His passer rating was 134.64. He also has 261 rushing yards on 42 attempts (6.2 yards per carry) for three touchdowns.
The sample size is small, but the impact was significant.
Earlier Monday, the Dolphins released quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, opening the door to a new starter.
Miami will take on a record $99.2 million in dead money by releasing Tagovailoa. The team will split Tagovailoa's dead-cap hit over two seasons by designating him a post-June 1 release, per reports.
As NFL.com's Kevin Patra suggested, landing Willis is a significant gamble by the incoming decision makers, but general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley are the most plugged-in on Willis, having spent the past two seasons with the QB in Green Bay.
If anyone in the market for a QB knows Willis' strengths and weaknesses, it's them.
Still, Willis is a work in progress.
The talent is there, but he's still very much unpolished.
Patra explained, "Willis took very few simple drop-back looks with Packers coach Matt LaFleur leaning on RPOs for a bulk of the offense plan in Willis' spot duty."
That's true. How Hafley and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik devise the game plan will be key to developing Willis and getting him to the next level.
Along those lines, it's worth remembering Slowik had great success as Houston's coordinator for C.J. Stroud's Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign in 2023.
For fantasy investors, the interest in rushing upside will always be a draw.
Willis offers that rushing equity, but with a ton of uncertainty about his ability to lead an offense, his supporting cast, and a new coaching staff in Miami, his draft price should remain reasonable.
And none of it changes his potential upside. Willis will be an ideal QB2 capable of outperforming his Average Draft Position with his rushing ability alone.
