Malik Willis is a Franchise Quarterback
At least, he better be if the Dolphins or any other team decides to pay him 30 mil a year.
ESPN and other various media outlets have reported that Malik Willis is expected to earn a contract paying anywhere between 20 and 30 million dollars per year when free agency starts, and according to a source close to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, “Miami is definitely in” on pursuing the quarterback.
In case you’ve been living in an underground bunker for the last two months, Malik Willis was the backup quarterback for the Packers during new Dolphins General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan’s time in the front office in Green Bay, as well as new Head Coach Jeff Hafley’s time running the defense for the team.
Coupled with the clear need for an upgrade at the quarterback position, it’s very easy to connect the dots and see why the new brass would be interested in Malik Willis, especially as a bridge quarterback.
Why try to sign the Flaccos or Mariotas of the world when you can bring in a guy you know to helm the most important position in all of team sports?
That makes all sense in the world, especially for a bridge quarterback.
There’s just one problem: You don’t pay a bridge quarterback 30 million dollars a year, unless you’re the Raiders and have Geno Smith signed at quarterback (yikes) on the hook for 37.5 million per year (double yikes).
If you’re going to reward Malik Willis with a contract averaging 30 million dollars per year, you’re saying he’s at least Baker Mayfield (33.3 million) or Sam Darnold (37.5 million), and you’re paying for similar production immediately.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t see Mike Evans and Emeka Egbuka lining up in Miami any time soon, and I damn sure don’t see Coach Hafley turning that defense into a top-ten all-time defense like what the Seahawks had this past season (and yes, it was that good).
At 20 million per season, the expectations change. 20 million says your expectations are along the lines of Justin Fields (20 million) or Daniel Jones (14 million).
That seems fair, reasonable, and probably more manageable with the current cap situation for the Dolphins as well. Maybe 20 million per year for two years? Use a little creative accounting, and that can be done with ease.
Which brings me to another problem, at least for Miami: If the cap-strapped, quarterback-needy Dolphins can figure out how to make 20-30 million per year work for Malik Willis, so can the Steelers.
Or the Vikings. Or the Falcons. Or the darkest of dark horse teams that could vie for his services, the Jets.
I know, I know. Aaron Rodgers is a lock to be back in Pittsburgh; Big Kirko may as well have his old locker back in Minnesota, every other free agent quarterback NOT named Malik Willis has been linked to the Falcons and we laugh out loud at the ideas of the Jets signing a quarterback like Malik Willis when they have a year left of Justin Fields and are probably drafting a quarterback.
Here’s the thing: All the above is true, until it isn’t.
Rodgers is a lock to return to Pittsburgh until news breaks in early March that he’s “retiring” (aka waiting for a good quarterback on a good team to get hurt and get the call to make a playoff run).
Kirk Cousins is a touchdown favorite to join the Vikings for one last playoff push, until a spot unexpectedly opens at CBS and he joins a studio show.
Flacco, Jimmy G, Mariota, and (insert veteran here) have been linked to the Falcons backup position, until they find out that Michael Penix may not be good to go as they had hoped, and Coach Stefanski sees an opportunity to seize the NFC South, right now, with the right quarterback.
The Jets are rolling with Fields, a cheap veteran, and a mid-round rookie.
Until Coach Glenn realizes that his job may be the most coveted of all jobs next offseason if it becomes available, and he may need to win now. Remember, the Jets have three first-round picks in 2027 (Jets, Colts, Cowboys). Would you be shocked if the Jets went into the next offseason with three picks in the top fifteen?
Or even top ten?
Think Mike Tomlin might be interested in a job like that?
Yeah, exactly.
That begs another question: If you’re Malik Willis, and you have potential playoff teams interested in signing you, why would you even consider Miami right now?
I can make the case that each quarterback-needy team listed above either has more immediate upside or is capable of making a playoff run with the right guy under center next season.
Can we even say that the Dolphins will be a playoff competitor by 2027 or even 2028? I’m optimistic, but I’m not getting carried away, and that’s something Malik Willis (and the Miami Dolphins) organization needs to consider because this rebuild will escalate with the stroke of a pen and an eight-figure direct deposit.
If Hafley and Sullivan sign Malik Willis to a 30 million dollar per year contract, even if it’s only two years in length, there is no five-year rebuild.
You have three years to right the ship, and you have to absolutely nail the 2026 draft. Signing Mariota or Jimmy G and seeing what you have in Quinn Ewers allows you to really rebuild through the draft, over time. Giving Malik Willis franchise money this month means it’s time to start mocking Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon TE) to the Dolphins at #12.
Good luck to Hafley, Sullivan, and the rest of the Dolphins front office, should they choose to go that route.
Here’s to hoping they land our Sam Darnold, and for a Justin Fields price.
Malik Willis is a Franchise Quarterback
Malik Willis is a Franchise Quarterback
At least, he better be if the Dolphins or any other team decides to pay him 30 mil a year.
ESPN and other various media outlets have reported that Malik Willis is expected to earn a contract paying anywhere between 20 and 30 million dollars per year when free agency starts, and according to a source close to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, “Miami is definitely in” on pursuing the quarterback.
In case you’ve been living in an underground bunker for the last two months, Malik Willis was the backup quarterback for the Packers during new Dolphins General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan’s time in the front office in Green Bay, as well as new Head Coach Jeff Hafley’s time running the defense for the team.
Coupled with the clear need for an upgrade at the quarterback position, it’s very easy to connect the dots and see why the new brass would be interested in Malik Willis, especially as a bridge quarterback.
Why try to sign the Flaccos or Mariotas of the world when you can bring in a guy you know to helm the most important position in all of team sports?
That makes all sense in the world, especially for a bridge quarterback.
There’s just one problem: You don’t pay a bridge quarterback 30 million dollars a year, unless you’re the Raiders and have Geno Smith signed at quarterback (yikes) on the hook for 37.5 million per year (double yikes).
If you’re going to reward Malik Willis with a contract averaging 30 million dollars per year, you’re saying he’s at least Baker Mayfield (33.3 million) or Sam Darnold (37.5 million), and you’re paying for similar production immediately.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t see Mike Evans and Emeka Egbuka lining up in Miami any time soon, and I damn sure don’t see Coach Hafley turning that defense into a top-ten all-time defense like what the Seahawks had this past season (and yes, it was that good).
At 20 million per season, the expectations change. 20 million says your expectations are along the lines of Justin Fields (20 million) or Daniel Jones (14 million).
That seems fair, reasonable, and probably more manageable with the current cap situation for the Dolphins as well. Maybe 20 million per year for two years? Use a little creative accounting, and that can be done with ease.
Which brings me to another problem, at least for Miami: If the cap-strapped, quarterback-needy Dolphins can figure out how to make 20-30 million per year work for Malik Willis, so can the Steelers.
Or the Vikings. Or the Falcons. Or the darkest of dark horse teams that could vie for his services, the Jets.
I know, I know. Aaron Rodgers is a lock to be back in Pittsburgh; Big Kirko may as well have his old locker back in Minnesota, every other free agent quarterback NOT named Malik Willis has been linked to the Falcons and we laugh out loud at the ideas of the Jets signing a quarterback like Malik Willis when they have a year left of Justin Fields and are probably drafting a quarterback.
Here’s the thing: All the above is true, until it isn’t.
Rodgers is a lock to return to Pittsburgh until news breaks in early March that he’s “retiring” (aka waiting for a good quarterback on a good team to get hurt and get the call to make a playoff run).
Kirk Cousins is a touchdown favorite to join the Vikings for one last playoff push, until a spot unexpectedly opens at CBS and he joins a studio show.
Flacco, Jimmy G, Mariota, and (insert veteran here) have been linked to the Falcons backup position, until they find out that Michael Penix may not be good to go as they had hoped, and Coach Stefanski sees an opportunity to seize the NFC South, right now, with the right quarterback.
The Jets are rolling with Fields, a cheap veteran, and a mid-round rookie.
Until Coach Glenn realizes that his job may be the most coveted of all jobs next offseason if it becomes available, and he may need to win now. Remember, the Jets have three first-round picks in 2027 (Jets, Colts, Cowboys). Would you be shocked if the Jets went into the next offseason with three picks in the top fifteen?
Or even top ten?
Think Mike Tomlin might be interested in a job like that?
Yeah, exactly.
That begs another question: If you’re Malik Willis, and you have potential playoff teams interested in signing you, why would you even consider Miami right now?
I can make the case that each quarterback-needy team listed above either has more immediate upside or is capable of making a playoff run with the right guy under center next season.
Can we even say that the Dolphins will be a playoff competitor by 2027 or even 2028? I’m optimistic, but I’m not getting carried away, and that’s something Malik Willis (and the Miami Dolphins) organization needs to consider because this rebuild will escalate with the stroke of a pen and an eight-figure direct deposit.
If Hafley and Sullivan sign Malik Willis to a 30 million dollar per year contract, even if it’s only two years in length, there is no five-year rebuild.
You have three years to right the ship, and you have to absolutely nail the 2026 draft. Signing Mariota or Jimmy G and seeing what you have in Quinn Ewers allows you to really rebuild through the draft, over time. Giving Malik Willis franchise money this month means it’s time to start mocking Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon TE) to the Dolphins at #12.
Good luck to Hafley, Sullivan, and the rest of the Dolphins front office, should they choose to go that route.
Here’s to hoping they land our Sam Darnold, and for a Justin Fields price.
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