Rival executives rip Dolphins for hanging Malik Willis out to dry

New Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and new head coach Jeff Hafley embraced a roster purge this offseason that involved moving on from big names such as pass-rusher Bradley Chubb, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. 

While the Dolphins signed signal-caller Malik Willis to a three-year, $67.5M contract with $45M of the deal fully guaranteed, Miami later traded wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and a 2026 fourth-round draft pick to the Denver Broncos for a 2026 first-round selection, a third-rounder and a fourth-rounder.   

NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently suggested that the signing of Willis was about giving Dolphins players "a chance to compete individually and as a team." On Tuesday, NFL insider Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom US shared that unnamed executives from around the NFL are "already wondering if Willis will even have the chance to show what he can do before Miami is almost certainly picking near the very top of the draft a year from now, when quarterback prospects project to be all the rage."

Malik Willis has "no shot" to succeed with Dolphins? 

"He’s got no shot," one general manager told La Canfora about Willis' Dolphins stint. "No shot, dude. No chance. That’s not a starting NFL offense." 

Miami's teardown may not even be finished, as running back De’Von Achane continues to be the subject of trade rumors. Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio recently noted that Achane is "not available" at the moment but is also "not among the handful of truly untradeable NFL players." 

Are Dolphins already dreaming about Malik Willis' replacement? 

As Logan Brown of Ducks Wire/USA Today pointed out, NFL analyst Todd McShay of The Ringer has said that the quarterback class for the 2027 draft could be "maybe the best ever." One evaluator who spoke with La Canfora hinted that the Dolphins' "total rebuild on offense" could be related to the club's desire to land whoever becomes the top quarterback prospect in next year's draft. 

"I don’t see how," the evaluator responded when asked if Willis could play well enough to keep the Dolphins from spending a first-round draft pick on a quarterback next spring.