Dolphins’ Hafley raves about Willis, dishes on injuries, Jimmy Johnson lunch
Speaking to reporters for the final time before training camp, Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley said Tuesday that quarterback Malik Willis, throughout the team’s offseason practices, has “looked as good as he’s looked since I’ve known him.”
That’s significant, because Willis was very good as the Packers’ backup quarterback the past two seasons.
“The conversation I had with Malik today walking down the hallway, you can see he’s more comfortable,” Hafley said. “He understands the answers being provided for him on each play.”
He also said backup Quinn Ewers “has gotten better” and that Ewers and Willis have “taken more command of the huddle. I’ve seen the confidence grow.”
The Dolphins’ offseason practices end this week.
“I like the way it went,” Hafley said. “I appreciate the coaches and how hard they work. I like the relationships we’ve built with the players. I like the guys we have on the team — veterans, guys we signed in free agency, the guys we drafted. I like the buy-in. I like how hard they’ve worked, the relationships we’ve built....
“I’m pleased with our attitude and effort, which was the most important thing to me. This is a team that has connected with each other [and] the staff. They work really hard in the classroom [and] the field. They’re coachable. We’ll learn more when we start playing real football. We’ll learn more when adversity hits.
“Now is an easy time; everything is fresh [and] new. From the attendance to the effort to the buy-in, I couldn’t ask for anything more from this group of guys and the staff.”
Asked how he would evaluate himself, Hafley said “once we finish this week, it’s very important I take a step back and re-evaluate everything since I’ve been here and look closely at that -- things I like that I did, things I didn’t like that I did.... I’m going to take some time to think through that.”
Whereas veteran players will begin their time off later this week, the Dolphins will keep rookies in the building until early next week.
Here’s what else Hafley said on Tuesday:
▪ He was noncommittal about whether injured cornerbacks Darrell Baker Jr. and Storm Duck would be ready for training camp.
“I wish they were coming along a little bit quicker,” Hafley conceded.
Duck is recovering from a knee injury sustained last season.
Baker, who started for Tennessee the past two seasons, has an undisclosed injury.
▪ On former first-round pick Kenneth Grant: “He’s changed his body. He’s faster. He looks more like the guy I saw on his college tape, with his lateral quickness, his pass-rush ability, his ability to play the run. [I like] just the way he’s moving.... Right now, he’s starting to believe in his abilities that we know that he has. Hopefully once pads come in, we’ll see that continue.”
▪ Center Aaron Brewer and linebacker Jordyn Brooks, who would both welcome contract extensions, attended Tuesday’s voluntary session.
▪ Hafley said the Dolphins will do two joint practices — in Washington before the preseason opener and in Miami Gardens before the Giants play here in Week 2 of preseason. Hafley doesn’t like scheduling joint practices on consecutive days.
“Whatever team gets the best of Day 1, the other team comes out and tries to overdo it [in Day 2] and usually stuff gets bad and you have a better chance of injury,” Hafley said. “You worry about [a fight] going too far and anyone getting injured. Our job is to protect the players. One good hard practice [is enough].”
Hafley said two consecutive joint practices is “like playing two games and you’re going to wear these guys out.”
▪ The new regime, like the past one, is intrigued by offensive lineman Kion Smith.
“Certainly there’s progress,” Hafley said. “We’ve moved him around. He’s shown his versatility. Let’s really evaluate him when the pads come on.”
▪ Before the veteran players depart for six weeks off, Hafley will tell them to “clear their minds and rest their bodies a little bit. But then they need to get back to work and make sure they come in in shape. The message is going to be make sure they’re training outside a little bit so when they come back, the heat doesn’t zap them.
“If they don’t do anything, to get back here [at a high level] will take them all of training camp… We don’t have time for that… There are 40 plus guys on one-year deals and a ton of rookies. There are a lot of guys with a lot to prove. The guys who put in the work in the next few weeks, physically and mentally, are going to have an advantage.”
▪ Hafley and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan had lunch in the Keys last weekend with former Dolphins coaches Jimmy Johnson and Dave Wannstedt. How did that come together?
“Dave and Jimmy are real close,” Hafley said. “Dave was here all last week — Dave has been huge for my career — and asked if I wanted to get together with Jimmy and pick his brain. I brought Sully along. Just asked him a lot of questions. Listened to him about his first go in Dallas. They had a rough first year and then went to win Super Bowls.
“I asked him about his time here and any advice he could give me, advice with the coaches, advice with the players, advice on game day, really picked his brain. To have such a good resource — one of the greatest coaches of all time — an hour and fifteen minutes down the road was really cool for me.
“I said to my wife afterward, ‘I’m at lunch with Jimmy Johnson. That’s really cool.’ He’s an unbelievable story teller, has an unbelievable memory. Just a great guy.”
This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 10:31 AM.
