Why do some Dolphins fans bash Willis? They explain; we respond with some facts
The Dolphins, who badly needed a quarterback, snagged the one who ESPN’s Adam Schefter said was widely regarded, by NFL teams, as the best among those scheduled to be unrestricted free agents.
They secured him at a reasonable rate that places him in the bottom third of the league among starters in compensation, even after he impressed everyone with six TDs, no interceptions and 70 completions in 89 throws — and the league’s best deep ball percentage — in mostly meaningful games for the Green Bay Packers the past two seasons.
A lot of fans liked the signing, judging from X. But surprisingly, many did not.
So why is a loud segment of the Dolphins fan base reacting with frustration and vitriol to a move that not only was praised by several analysts and pundits but also executed by a general manager (Jon-Eric Sullivan) who knows Willis, his skill set, his strengths, his limitations, his study habits and his character better than any executive outside of Green Bay?
I attempted to find out on the social media platform X. Here were some of the more polite, reasonable responses from Dolphins fans who disapproved of the move, and my response to those remarks:
▪ From TerribleTiffy12: “I think people are upset at the signing because we could have spent that money filling essential gaps in the trenches and gotten a QB in next year’s draft. [Quinn] Ewers isn’t going to win us a Super Bowl, but he was serviceable enough to get us through a season we all already know is going to be a throwaway.”
The view here: Yes, the Dolphins could have used that cap space to sign one of the better guards who came off the board quickly in free agency — David Edwards (four years, $61 million from the Saints) or Zion Johnson (three years, $45.5 million with Cleveland). Or Miami could have spent all its space on a defensive tackle — John Franklin-Meyers (three years, $63 million with Tennessee).
But keep in mind that historically, it’s much easier to find quality guards and defensive tackles in the middle rounds of the draft than it is to find very good quarterbacks late in Day 2 or Day 3. And because the GM who watched Willis closely for two years believes he can be special, isn’t using that money on a QB a better risk investment than using it on positions that can be filled in the draft with smart evaluations?
▪ From 2A2Waddle: “He isn’t a franchise QB and he’s not going to be. Why [spend] more money into the QB position when you said you we [are] going to rebuild through the draft and infuse competition, then turn around and hand out $67 million dollars to a dude with 6 starts going into year 5?”
The view here: Respectfully, nobody knows if he can be a franchise QB. The GM and the coach who have seen him nearly every day believe he can be. Several network analysts, including ESPN’s Ryan Clark, say he’s a franchise quarterback.
Also, even though this has all the characteristics of a rebuild, Sullivan has made clear that he would not call this a rebuild.
He said last month that he rejects the term “rebuild” because it implies “mailing it in.” Instead, he describes the team’s strategy as “building a foundation” while remaining competitive this season. Nobody with the team ever suggested this was a throwaway season designed to bottom out.
▪ From S-know-alot: “Those people with more information than us deemed him to be a backup QB in Green Bay.”
The view here: He was a backup in Green Bay because the Packers have someone better, $214 million quarterback Jordan Love.
▪ From Nda-Zone: “Folks skeptical after the Tua debacle. Once Sully cashes in one or two successes the scar tissue left behind by Grier & McD will heal.”
The view here: You nailed it. Being a 21st-century Dolphins fan means always expecting the worst and never trusting happiness.
▪ From You (not to be confused with ‘Me’): “It’s not whether he is good or not. But what’s the difference between 2 wins next year versus 3-4? Following year, 5-6 wins, if he is still walking. No money, lots more problems.”
The view here: But it is whether he’s good or not. If performs remotely close to how he played in Green Bay, then the Dolphins will have solved quarterback even if defensive deficiencies don’t allow them to contend for the playoffs for a year or two.
▪ From Filly: “My worry is he won’t be bad enough to lock in pick #1 or good enough to build around. My personal problem is I think it’s good to have the #1 overall pick to kick off a rebuild even though basically O teams that are dominant programs got their start with that.”
The view here: This is the sentiment that has fueled much of the negativity about the move. But the Dolphins have enough good players (De’Von Achane, Jaylen Waddle, Jordyn Brooks, Zach Sieler, Patrick Paul) — and potentially good players with five picks in the top 90 — that you cannot reasonably assume they would land the No. 1 pick (potentially Texas quarterback Arch Manning).
Have you seen the rosters of the Jets (who won four fewer games than the Dolphins last season), Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns?
And in a worst-case scenario — if Willis and Quinn Ewers fail — Miami still would be positioned (with this depleted defense) to compete for a top prospect in what’s shaping up to be a QB-rich draft, with Manning, Dante Moore (Oregon), Julian Sayin (Ohio State), CJ Carr (Notre Dame) and several others.
▪ From Canyon Rogue: “The two people who watched his practice are suffering from recency bias and aren’t making analytical choices. Willis hasn’t shown anything in his entire career that says he’s a starter; in fact until last season he didn’t even look like a backup.”
The view here: I’m not sure how anyone could prove the “recency bias” claim. And people who have played and worked in the league don’t agree with you.
Former NFL executive Louis Riddick: “There’s no question that his dual-threat capability is legit; it’s real. Do not put him in the box of just being a running QB who can also throw. This young man can throw the football…. He really gets people kind of sit up in their chair.”
Ex-NFL QB Chase Daniels: “Malik Willis is worth it all for the Dolphins. The film is so much better than you think… timing, touch, & anticipation.”
ESPN analyst and former Jets offensive lineman Damien Woody: “It’s a fit that makes a lot of sense. When you have all this knowledge about a player, it makes you feel a lot better. And you didn’t have to break the bank.
“From what we’ve seen in a small sample size, this dude has tremendous upside. Can you imagine him in a backfield with De’Von Achane? Those two athletic guys? There are a lot of things schematically you can do with both those guys. I really like what Miami did.”
▪ From Jamy: “How many 5 year QBs (career backups) turn it around with team 3…. with the team in financial crisis and a depleted roster why not put your hat in the lottery for next year’s draft class and take this year to build the trenches?”
The view here: Valid point. As SI.com’s Alain Poupart noted in this piece, “around the NFL, there aren’t a lot of examples of quarterbacks with fewer than 10 starts through four years who go on to have significant success.”
Matt Flynn, Brock Osweiler and Kevin Kolb didn’t work out. One who did, as Alain noted: Jimmy Garoppolo, who helped the 49ers reach the Super Bowl in the 2019 season.
▪ From Doug: “My only criticism is it seems every move this GM makes is related to Green Bay. Either he is next level genius or lacks creativity. You won’t know for several years. Willis looked pretty good but playing on a good team. More guaranteed money. What happened to the QB competition?”
The view here: There’s only two years of guaranteed money. And Willis is the only established player signed so far from Green Bay. (I’m not counting futures contracts players.)
▪ From Wayne Kreeger: “I don’t think it’s really anything against Willis personally, but the same day we ate nearly $100 Million of dead cap money for one quarterback, they sign a career backup for more than half that amount to take his place.
“Also with all the failure and mediocrity over the last 40 years, it’s easier to digest stinking if we know we’re gonna stink from the outset. Going all in for a quarterback with all the other roster holes and lack of cap space doesn’t really seem like a great idea.”
The view here: But who said they planned to stink from the outset? And if quarterback is the most important position, wouldn’t you at least try to find one with a dynamic skill set and a successful (albeit limited) recent body of work? Why does the order matter? The Dolphins have three good linemen and should be able to find serviceable guards.
▪ From Yayabo: “It’s more about the contract. The guy has six starts.”
The view here: The limited number of starts is exactly why he’s receiving less than half the annual salary of the average for the top 16 quarterbacks.
“Fair contract; [it’s essentially] just a two-year commitment,” said ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky said, noting it’s only $2 million more than what the Jets gave Justin Fields annually in a two-year deal.
But keep in mind that the contract is team-friendly in the sense that he’s owed no guaranteed money after 2027, and the cap hit for releasing him after 2027 would be just $7.4 million, which Miami could easily stomach. They also can afford to draft one high next April if it doesn’t work out.
▪ From Tom Gillen:
“Would’ve liked to see what [Quinn] Ewers has. The schedule is a tough one so I don’t expect playoffs and JES said he wanted to build through the draft. I don’t see how winning 7/8 games and not making the playoffs helps with that philosophy. So now I got one eyebrow up on the new guy.”
The view here: That’s reasonable, Tom. My philosophy is to take a chance on any quarterback who has flashed superior skills and hope you hit on one.
▪ From Matt:
“Limits your ability to build the roster around your future QB as you have less money to get impact players at cheaper positions in 2026 & 2027. Every $ going to Willis is a $ that isn’t building the O-line or reconstructing the defense, for a coin flip on a developmental prospect.”
The view here: That would be the case if Sullivan had the Chris Grier philosophy of trading draft picks and signing pricey free agents at various positions. But he doesn’t.
Because he intends to fill most positions through the draft, there will be more than enough room to spend selectively in free agency next offseason ($97 million in cap space without factoring in draft picks, and potential extensions for De’Von Achane, Aaron Brewer and Jordyn Brooks but also not factoring in all the money saved on Tagovailoa in 2027).
At the moment, Miami has $173 million in space in March 2028.
▪ And the last word to Jerry Carnathan: “Many Dolphins fans are just generally miserable. They just hate everything. I’m personally not dancing in the street over the Willis signing, but I’m definitely hoping for the best and willing to see where it goes.”
The view here: We get it. How could you not be pre-disposed to being miserable (or at least profoundly pessimistic) after a quarter century of no playoff wins, picking Daunte Culpepper over Drew Brees, messing up the 2019 tank and generating national headlines for all the wrong reasons (BullyGate, sniffing white substances from a desk, Tagovailoa head injuries, etc.?)
But if the Detroit Lions and Indiana Hoosiers can transform from sad sacks to winners, why can’t the Dolphins? The new regime deserves a chance to prove they’re better than the last eight.
Here’s Day 2 of my Dolphins free agency live blog, with some stunning facts on Willis.
This story was originally published March 10, 2026 at 1:05 PM.
