It turns out the Miami Dolphins enjoyed watching their backup quarterbacks play this preseason about as much as you did
Malik Willis isn’t just the last man standing from the Miami Dolphins training camp at quarterback. He’s the only one.
I’m not going to lie. I don’t think I can ever recall a situation unfolding in recent memory with roster cuts that looks like what the Miami Dolphins just did. When camp opened at the end of July, Miami housed Malik Willis, Quinn Ewers, Cam Miller, and Mark Gronowski in the quarterback room.
With about 10 cuts remaining on Sunday to reach the 53-man roster limit for the regular season, only Willis is left. This team’s leadership bid farewell to Tua Tagovailoa in March. Yesterday, they traded Ewers to Jacksonville for a sixth-round draft choice. The other two shoes fell this morning. Malik Willis is going to be getting to know at least one — perhaps two — new faces in his position room this week.
Malik Willis is the last man standing in the Miami Dolphins’ quarterback room
The Miami Dolphins certainly aren’t messing around as it pertains to churning through the disappointments from the preseason window. And make no mistake about it: the quarterback room as a whole was disappointing. Willis, as the starter? He’s blossomed throughout the course of camp. He is, of course, the most important piece of the puzzle.
But no one else emerged. UDFA rookie Mark Gronowski was released, then brought back throughout August. He probably gave Miami their most impressive stretch of football in a preseason contest with his play in the second half against the Falcons. It wasn’t enough to keep him on the 53-man roster. At least initially.
So now, Miami will completely flush the system behind Willis as they stack their 53-man roster. There will be at least one transaction to add a new name. Consider me intrigued — but I’m inclined to think the Dolphins will get a pretty good hack at a competitive name. Be that an Anthony Richardson, a JJ McCarthy, a Will Levis or otherwise. GM Jon-Eric Sullivan has preached his desire for competition in the quarterback room. Sadly, August 2026 will be remembered for giving the Miami Dolphins anything but. Hence what we’ve seen unfold today.
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