Malik Willis Contract: Dolphins Strike Early Deal for New Starting QB in Tampering Window
malik willis contract talks surged into focus Monday morning as the Miami Dolphins moved swiftly to line up a new starting quarterback. The Dolphins announced they will release quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after the start of the new league year, then hours later agreed to terms with quarterback Malik Willis. The developments unfolded in the early tampering window, with free agency set to begin Wednesday, March 11 at 4 p. m. ET.
Deal terms surface after Dolphins announce Tua Tagovailoa move
Miami’s sequence of moves began Monday morning with the club’s announcement that Tagovailoa will be released after the start of the new league year. Within hours, a deal framework for Willis came into view: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said the Dolphins agreed to terms with Willis on a three-year, $67. 5 million contract that includes $45 million guaranteed.
The agreement arrives as teams jockey for position in the opening of the free-agent marketplace. The timing is notable: the Dolphins’ quarterback plan appeared to pivot quickly from the Tagovailoa decision to securing Willis as the next starter, all before the official start of free agency on Wednesday at 4 p. m. ET.
What the Malik Willis Contract signals in the quarterback market
The malik willis contract number lands against a backdrop of a quarterback entering free agency with a complicated résumé—high-end efficiency in a limited role, mixed with earlier struggles as a young starter.
Bucky Brooks, former NFL player and scout, wrote that Willis became a “compelling figure” as he moved through free agency. In Green Bay, where Willis served as the backup to Jordan Love over the past two seasons, Brooks wrote that Willis posted a 134. 6 passer rating while completing 78. 7 percent of his passes for 972 yards and six touchdowns, with zero interceptions. Brooks also noted Willis ran for 241 yards on 42 carries (6. 2 yards per attempt) and scored three rushing touchdowns.
Brooks added that Willis’ rookie contract has run out, placing him on the open market as free agency approaches. He also highlighted the potential tension teams may feel: Brooks wrote that “lavishing a megabucks contract on a QB with just six career starts under his belt” could make some owners uneasy, while noting Willis had six career starts, including three with the Packers.
Brooks contrasted that recent efficiency with Willis’ earlier stretch in Tennessee, writing that Willis was labeled a bust by many after compiling a 49. 4 passer rating, completing 53 percent of his passes, and posting a 0-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio across 11 games over two seasons.
Immediate reactions: scouting view and Dolphins fit
Brooks’ evaluation leaned heavily on improvement, writing that after studying the 2024 and 2025 tape, Willis “looked nothing like” the overwhelmed player from his early Titans tenure. Brooks described Willis as playing with “outstanding composure and poise, ” operating within a “catch-and-run passing-concept menu, ” and adding a distinct rushing element with designed runs and scrambles.
On fit, Brooks wrote that new Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley were both in Green Bay during the entirety of Willis’ time there, and that their familiarity “should ease his potential transition to QB1 in South Florida. ” Brooks added that the Dolphins’ decision-makers know the boundaries of Willis’ game and can build around him.
Quick context and what happens next
Free agency is set to begin Wednesday, March 11 at 4 p. m. ET, and Willis entered that window as a quarterback drawing heightened interest. Miami’s move comes after the team publicly set a course to release Tagovailoa after the start of the new league year.
Next milestones are straightforward: the league calendar will determine when the Tagovailoa release becomes official and when the Dolphins can finalize the agreement they’ve reached. Until then, the malik willis contract remains the defining headline of Miami’s early quarterback reset, with eyes on how quickly the new starter can be positioned as QB1 once the signing window opens at 4 p. m. ET on Wednesday, March 11.
