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Rob Demovsky
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Rob Demovsky
ESPN Staff Writer
- Rob Demovsky is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Green Bay Packers. He has covered the Packers since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2013. Demovsky is a two-time Wisconsin Sportswriter of the Year as selected by the NSSA.
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MIAMI GARDENS — It’s the end of one era in Miami and the beginning of another.
Hours after announcing Tua Tagovailoa’s release, the Miami Dolphins agreed to a contract with quarterback Malik Willis — a three-year, $67.5 million deal that presumably makes him the team’s starting quarterback for at least the 2026 season.
First-year general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan played coy with Miami’s interest in Willis when asked about him at the NFL combine last month, but the Dolphins wasted no time completing the Green Bay reunion; Willis, Sullivan and first-year coach Jeff Hafley spent the past two seasons together with the Packers.
Sullivan has insisted on adding competition to the quarterbacks room and has done so on Day 1 of the league’s negotiating period.
ESPN NFL Nation Miami Dolphins reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques and Green Bay Packers reporter Rob Demovsky discuss what’s next for each team after the signing.
Why did the Dolphins sign Malik Willis?
Miami’s need at quarterback went from speculative to immediate Monday morning when it announced Tagovailoa’s release. This isn’t necessarily a team ready to compete for a Super Bowl in 2026, but the Dolphins now have a quarterback they believe will give them a chance to win on any given Sunday.
The familiarity is obvious, considering Willis, Sullivan and Hafley spent those two years together in Green Bay; that takes a lot of the guess work out of this signing. Sullivan and Hafley got an up close look at Willis’ work ethic and development long before he hit the open market, and gave him a deal that likely locks him in as Miami’s starter for at least the next season or two. — Louis-Jacques
What have the Dolphins seen in Willis’ six career starts that compelled the signing?
The Dolphins saw a player that can stress defenses with both his arm and his legs — a trait that their offense lacked over the past few seasons with Tagovailoa. But while Willis technically has six starts under his belt, his three with the Tennessee Titans as a rookie can effectively be thrown out.
Willis was a developmental player when the Titans drafted him in the third round in 2022, but that development didn’t truly catch on until he joined the Packers in 2024. In three starts with Green Bay, Willis threw for 612 yards and three touchdowns without throwing an interception, adding another 174 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. With a full offseason of starter reps, his ceiling is high.
“Well obviously he was our scout team quarterback,” Hafley said. “So a lot of times he really couldn’t do what he does best because I was sitting there telling him, if we were playing a dropback guy and he started scrambling, I’d tell him, ‘Hey, you got to stay in the pocket, man. Like, stop scrambling. That’s not what we’re doing today.’ And then if we were playing a scrambler, he could kind of play his game and do his thing.
“Obviously him and I have a really good relationship, and he always did a really good job and gave us everything that he had.”
— Louis-Jacques
What does this signing say about the direction of the Dolphins offense?
There’s still work to be done but it looks a lot better with a quarterback in place than it did before.
Miami has exciting pieces on offense with running back De’Von Achane and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, but it still needs an additional receiver or two to complement Waddle, a tight end and a right guard.
The Dolphins have eight draft picks to address these needs and their needs on the other side of the ball, but it’s a solid start. — Louis-Jacques
With Willis and Ewers in the building, are the Dolphins set at QB or will they look to the draft for more depth?
Sullivan has consistently said the Dolphins will draft a quarterback this year, and likely will every year. Willis will probably get the first reps come spring practices, but Ewers can’t be counted out just yet; one of these players will still have to earn the job.
This likely confirms Miami will not spend a high draft pick on a quarterback, however, as speculation about its interest in Alabama’s Ty Simpson has grown over the past few weeks. Keep an eye on players like Taylen Green, Drew Allar, and Carson Beck — players who aren’t likely to be high draft picks but present intriguing options late in the draft.— Louis-Jacques
Where do the Packers stand at backup QB? Will they look to the draft or free agency to fill the hole?
The Packers signed Desmond Ridder late last season and added Kyle McCord on a futures deal shortly after the season, but general manager Brian Gutekunst said he will “absolutely” look to add to the position this offseason. Of Ridder, Gutekunst said recently: “He brings some elements we would like in a backup quarterback. I think he’s got a little bit of upside. I don’t think he’s hit his full potential yet, so I’m excited about that. But there’ll be competition in there for sure.”
Gutekunst has said he would like to get back into the business of drafting developmental quarterbacks more regularly. Gutekunst has taken two (Sean Clifford, Round 5 in 2023; Micheal Pratt, Round 7 in 2024) since using a first-round pick on Jordan Love in 2020.
You can’t rule out a trade, either, like when the Packers acquired Willis right before the start of the 2024 season after neither Clifford nor Pratt could win the backup job. — Demovsky
