ESPN’s season projection for quarterback Malik Willis illustrates the worst-case scenario for the Miami Dolphins
Would you take this stat line for Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis in 2026, no questions asked?
The Miami Dolphins are entering into the great unknown with a new man behind center.
As OTAs and minicamp wind down for teams across the league, the Miami Dolphins are stacking days with quarterback Malik Willis looking to seize the title of “franchise quarterback” in South Florida. How Willis actually plays this season? Your guess is as good as mine. But ESPN’s season projection for Willis offers a fascinating hypothetical. What if the numbers are as good as you could hope for, while also leaving you wanting more?
ESPN’s 2026 season projection for Malik Willis would create a complicated long-term outlook for the Miami Dolphins
Here is ESPN Fantasy’s 2026 season projection for Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis. I’ll let you make your own judgements of the numbers before sharing mine.
ESPN’s Malik Willis projected 2026 season line:
– 328/514 passing, 3,585 passing yards, 13 passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 543 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns
First and foremost, over 4,100 yards from scrimmage would be tough to complain about. That’s a handsome amount of production! Especially given the team’s promising outlook as a rushing unit and the return of De’Von Achane on a new contract. The 2025 Miami Dolphins managed to scratch out just over 5,100 yards as a team last season, so Willis helping to account for 4,100 by his lonesome would almost sure set the Dolphins up to be a more successful outfit from a yardage standpoint.
But 13 passing touchdowns is mighty light. It leaves Miami primed for a scoring regression — one that would probably leave plenty of questions about the long-term outlook. It’s almost the worst case scenario for the Dolphins; enough yardage movement to gain optimism but a severely low scoring output that lets questions linger.
Of course this decision, in reality, will come down to the film. What kind of execution do we see from Willis and how much of his limitations simply stem from his own issues versus the supporting cast around him? We will (hopefully) have clarity by the time winter rolls around. But in the meantime, this tantalizing forecast by ESPN is one that leaves enough room on either side of the fence.
If you’re a believing in Willis, you see that stat line and say “yeah, absolutely!”. And if you’re a skeptic, you probably see the same numbers and say “draft one early!”. Is it football season, yet?
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