The Dolphins aren’t the only Malik Willis suitor with a tie to his early days in Tennessee with the Titans

They say it is a relationship business. We’ll see just how true that is.

Kyle Crabbs, Rob Gregson
Add as preferred source on Google

The Miami Dolphins are bracing to push play on their offseason plan.

One week from today, teams will be eligible to start making contract offers to free agents. On Wednesday of next week, the league calendar year opens and signings can be finalized. It’s probably a safe assumption that the Dolphins won’t be heavy players in that first window of negotiations. But for general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley, there is one name who could shake things up on the open market for the Dolphins. Quarterback Malik Willis fits an obvious need, and if his market comes in at a reasonable rate, expect Miami to be in the running.

The Dolphins will have competition, however. And based on the current expectation elsewhere in the NFL, the biggest competition will have a direct connection to Willis’ roots. Miami, conveniently enough, does as well. It sets the stage for a fascinating story.

Both the Dolphins and their presumed top competition for Malik Willis offer ties to his transition to the NFL

Dec 27, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis (2) during warmups prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

“As the noise surrounding the departure of Kyler Murray grows louder, keep an eye on Arizona as a potential suitor for Willis. Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort was with the Tennessee Titans when Willis was drafted, and new HC Mike Lafleur is the brother of Packers HC Matt LaFleur. If the Cardinals rip the Murray band-aid off, Willis could have another destination.” — Rob Gregson, A to Z Sports NFL

It feels like the noise around the Dolphins and Willis has cooled over the course of the past few weeks, fueled in part by Sullivan’s passive stance on him at the NFL Combine. It’s ironic, given that the first day of the NFL Combine last week saw the news break that Jon Robinson, the former Tennessee Titans general manager and the man who drafted Willis to Tennessee back in 2022, was joining Miami’s staff. Given Miami’s extensive “to do” list and the complications of some of those matters, it is justifiable that the Dolphins may not be ready to blitz the opportunity to throw money at Willis in free agency after just a handful of starts.

But then again, Ossenfort and the Cardinals played it cool, too. The stars appear to be lining up for both teams to bid farewell to their current quarterbacks in the very near future. Once that happens, it will be fascinating to see if Arizona’s ties to Willis via Ossenfort or Miami’s ties via Hafley and Sullivan (Green Bay) & Jon Robinson (Tennessee) are enough to sway him one way or another more than the money. They say this business is a relationships business. We’re going to find out exactly how true that is for Willis.

Related Articles