Malik Willis is heading into Miami Dolphins training camp with a $67.5 million contract and a label nobody expected. A CBS Sports analyst just grouped him with three rookie quarterbacks as a “promising prospect.” That means the former Packer backup sits somewhere between 18th and 21st in the league right now in someone’s professional opinion.
Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports sorted every NFL quarterback into tiers this week. His top group is “transcendent talents” with five names. The second tier has 12 “borderline stars.” Then comes “promising prospects,” where Willis lands alongside Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, Saints QB Tyler Shough, and Titans QB Cam Ward. It’s not exactly a ringing endorsement. But it’s also not nothing for a guy who has started four games in four seasons.
“After rejuvenating his career in Green Bay, Willis will get his first legitimate chance to be an NFL starting quarterback,” DeArdo wrote. Willis played four games for the Packers in 2025 while Jordan Love was banged up. He threw for 422 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also ran 22 times for 123 yards and two scores. That’s a small sample size is the thing. Four games don’t make a career. But it was enough for Miami to hand him starter money and for new head coach Jeff Hafley to bring him along from Green Bay.
Willis turns 28 this summer. He’s basically guaranteed to win the Dolphins starting job in training camp because there’s nobody else. The real question is whether he can reproduce that 2025 magic over 17 games. The roster around him is rough. De’Von Achane is a legit weapon out of the backfield. After that? The starting receivers could be Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell. None of those guys have ever been a team’s No. 1 option. That’s a problem.
The Dolphins went full rebuild this offseason. New coaches, new quarterback, new everything. Miami is giving Willis a real shot to prove he’s not just a backup who got hot for a few weeks. He’ll face a lot of pressure and a lot of man coverage. If he can’t elevate that receiving corps, the “promising prospect” label won’t last long.
Training camp opens later this month. We’ll see if Willis looks like a guy who belongs in that tier, or if he’s just a bridge to the next rebuild.
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