Could Malik Willis be the NFL's next big quarterback reclamation project? The 2022 third-round pick is set to hit free agency in March with considerable hype about his potential as a starter. Projections for his market value have grown over the last few months, with NFL Network's Ian Rapoport predicting that Willis could get anywhere from $30MM to $35MM per year in free agency. But here's where it gets controversial... Is $30MM AAV too much for a quarterback with just six career starts? Willis has made huge strides since arriving in Green Bay in 2024, but matching or exceeding the AAVs of Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold feels like a long shot. Teams may still be willing to pony up for a young quarterback with exciting athletic traits and the ability to develop under the right coaching. The Dolphins have emerged as an obvious landing spot for Willis after hiring Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan as their next head coach/general manager duo. However, they have a tight cap situation and will already be paying Tua Tagovailoa $54MM in 2026. So, is Miami willing to pay the price for Willis? And this is the part most people miss... The Dolphins could certainly find a way to get Willis to Miami, but doing so will take a combination of cuts, restructures, and a creative contract structure. Even then, the team has more areas to address, and concentrating $90MM at quarterback will limit their ability to invest in other positions. But Hafley and Sullivan should also know how team leadership can be defined by their ability (or inability) to acquire quarterback talent. 26-year-olds with starting potential rarely hit unrestricted free agency, so the Dolphins may be best served by prioritizing Willis now and building the roster around him over the next two offseasons in the hopes of getting back to playoff contention by 2027.
