The Dolphins Quarterback situation is set to look very different in Week 1, and Malik Willis is expected to have his rushing ability built into the plan against the Las Vegas Raiders. For a Miami team in reset mode, that is not just a tactical detail — it is part of how the Dolphins hope to survive the early weeks and grow into the season.
Miami enter the 2026 season with a new front office, a new coaching staff, a new quarterback, a new team president and a roster that has changed in significant ways. That is why the opener feels less like a statement game and more like the first real test of whether the Dolphins can build something practical around Willis.
During the preseason, the starters played only one series. In joint practices, Miami focused on pocket passing and chemistry, but the Week 1 picture may be broader than that. If Willis is going to settle quickly, the offense will need to let him use what he does best rather than force everything through a conventional dropback script.
Why Malik Willis changes the Dolphins Quarterback plan
The key point is simple: Willis gives Miami a chance to add another layer to the offense with his legs. That does not mean the Dolphins should abandon structure or ask him to play outside the system. It means Bobby Slowik can shape the attack so that movement, space and decision-making become part of the plan from the start.
That approach makes sense in a game that could easily become awkward for an opponent. The Dolphins have already been described as a possible trap game team this season, and that is the kind of label that often comes when a roster has enough uncertainty to be dangerous but not enough external belief to draw much respect.
Jordyn Brooks made that point clearly last week when he spoke about the mentality inside the building.
“I don’t think we have a choice, honestly,” Brooks said.
He added: “I don’t think there’s one outlet on social media, anybody that’s got us picked to win anything.”
Brooks’ comments fit the wider mood around Miami. The Dolphins are not entering the year with outside expectations, and that can be useful if the group is willing to embrace it. “I don’t think any of our opponents respect us, so 100% underdog mindset and I think that’s always the best position to be in,” he said.
What Bobby Slowik is likely trying to build
For Slowik, the challenge is not simply designing plays that look good on paper. It is creating an offense that gives Willis a real chance to function as a starter while protecting the team from the kind of mistakes that can derail a reset season early.
That is where the rushing element becomes important. A quarterback who can threaten the edges changes the way a defense has to line up, and it can keep Miami from becoming too predictable while the passing game settles. In a season where growth by Week 18 matters more than immediate playoff talk, that kind of flexibility has value.
It also explains why the opener matters so much. The Raiders come into Week 1 with Miami still trying to establish its identity, but the Dolphins may be more comfortable in that role than many outsiders expect. If Willis can make his legs a factor, Miami can at least make the game uncomfortable for Las Vegas and give itself a platform to build on.
That is the broader expectation for the 2026 season: not perfection, but progress. The Dolphins will judge success less by where they are in September and more by how far they have come by Week 18. For a team still defining itself, that is probably the right way to look at it.
