Jeff Hafley Lays Out His ‘Main Focus’ Regarding New Starting QB
It seems Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley is well aware of the fact that Rome wasn’t built in one day, or in other words, that important work takes time.
He made it clear that the expectation isn’t for new starting quarterback Malik Willis to move mountains out of the gate. Rather, Hafley said his “main focus” for Willis, with the start of the Dolphins’ training camp still months away, is to simply have the signal-caller get his feet wet with his new teammates and the offensive system.
“My main focus for him right now is to learn the scheme, get to know the players and not overdo the whole leadership thing,” Hafley said.
Hafley’s comments could be an attempt to temper expectations for the 27-year-old, who has a lot on his shoulders for someone with such inexperience (he has just six NFL starts under his belt). The Dolphins just recently signed him to a huge three-year, $67.5 million deal in March, and he’s succeeding their long-time franchise quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa.
On the bright side, though, Willis is set for a smoother transition than most quarterbacks with their new teams because of his relationship with Hafley. Willis and Hafley have already worked alongside one another at the highest level, as the two were both members of the Green Bay Packers in 2025. The former was the backup quarterback behind Jordan Love, while the latter served as the team’s defensive coordinator. They seem to have a very strong personal relationship as well, and it’s a nice bonus to have that already established before they’ve even coached/played a game with the Dolphins.
But regardless of how well Willis and Hafley fare in their maiden seasons with the Dolphins, it won’t keep them from stacking up a lot of losses in 2026. They have the least-talented roster in all of football, and that — combined with their daunting strength of schedule, the second-most challenging in the NFL — will be too much to overcome.
