The Miami Dolphins’ bet on Malik Willis is looking better thanks to the league’s newest quarterback contract
The Miami Dolphins’ bet on Malik Willis looks a little different after a new development elsewhere in the AFC.
The Miami Dolphins made waves back in March. It was then they committed to paying quarterback Malik Willis north of $22 million per season on a three-year contract.
The objective is obvious. Take advantage of the team leadership’s familiarity with Willis to bypass the daunting task of securing a quality starting quarterback. Whether or not Willis eventually proves himself to be that or not is to be determined. But that’s the idea. Given the team’s hardship against the salary cap? And the need to transition quickly away from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa? It’s an easy sell. And if Willis hits, it is also a major win.
But the bet the Dolphins are placing on Willis also looks a little better when you contrast it to one of the newest quarterback contracts in the NFL. Aaron Rodgers is back with the Pittsburgh Steelers — and after a raise he’s in Willis’ ballpark.
The Aaron Rodgers contract makes the Miami Dolphins’ bet on Malik Willis look even better
After another offseason filled with dramatic speculation, Aaron Rodgers will ride again. He’s now set for a second year in Pittsburgh with the Steelers. Rodgers is signing a one-year contract worth up to $25 million for the season. ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported that the deal “needs to be finalized” but that the base value of this contract will be between $22 and $23 million.
Listen, I’m not comparing the career resumes of Aaron Rodgers to Malik Willis. Rodgers has more career wins as a starter than Willis has pass attempts. Pretending that Rodgers isn’t a first-ballot Hall of Famer while Willis’ fate is completely unknown would be foolish.
But what are you paying for in 2026? Rodgers is a fading star. His most recent two year stretch in New York with the Jets and in 2025 with the Steelers falls far short of his career averages, let alone his peak play. And Rodgers isn’t getting any younger. He turns 43 years old in December and has labored at times to be the same magician and creator since his Achilles injury in 2023.
Better bet moving forward?
Willis is physically in his prime, has dual threat ability, and — this is important — long-term upside. If you were going to pay approximately $23 million for a quarterback in today’s market, would you like that player to be a late stage, descending star in his mid-40s? Or would you like that player to be an ascending talent with high-end physical gifts and the change to be a long-term answer?
For a competitive team like the Steelers, Rodgers may make more sense in a short-term window. But if this was the dollar amount Pittsburgh was willing to go with with Rodgers, it does beg the question if they seriously entertained Willis.
All things equal for a team, you can make a legitimate argument that Willis is the better swing of the bat in 2026 — not because his career has been anything close to Rodgers’. But because moving forward, Willis is the one who offers the potential for a long-term payout.
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