Despite offensive questions, Malik Willis is positioned to challenge one of the best QB debut seasons in Dolphins history

The bar for Malik Willis to post a top debut season as a passer for the Miami Dolphins is fairly low.

Kyle Crabbs — NFL National Writer
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Packers QB Malik Willis
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. Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The churn of quarterbacks in South Florida will take a fresh turn in 2026. The Miami Dolphins have turned to Malik Willis in their continued search for a long-term franchise quarterback.

You could concede that former quarterback Tua Tagovailoa qualified as a long-term quarterback, absolutely. His peak was just two years of play, however — and one of those seasons was marred by head injuries. Willis, despite the questions around the supporting cast in Miami, should have every opportunity to log one of the more productive debut seasons for a Miami Dolphins quarterback. Here’s the current leaderboard for Miami Dolphins passers in their first season in South Florida.

Malik Willis should have every opportunity to log one of the most productive debut seasons for a quarterback in Miami Dolphins history

Packers QB Malik Willis
Dec 27, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis (2). Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
  1. QB Chad Pennington (2008) – 3,653 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns & 7 interceptions
  2. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (2019) – 3,529 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns & 13 interceptions
  3. QB Ryan Tannehill (2012) – 3,294 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns & 13 interceptions
  4. QB Gus Frerotte (2005) – 2,996 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns & 13 interceptions
  5. QB Jay Cutler (2017) – 2,666 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns & 14 interceptions

This is it, folks. This is the bar to be cleared for quarterbacks in their first year with the Miami Dolphins. There is, of course, some fine print here. Dan Marino’s sensational 1983 season didn’t have the statistical punch that it should have — as he started only 9 games that season.

Willis has posted 1,322 passing yards through his first four seasons in the NFL. That includes two seasons in a disastrous offense in Tennessee — a woeful situation that’s claimed plenty of talented players. The time he’s spent in Green Bay the last two years has managed to establish growth and momentum in his game. He’ll now look, in his first season as a clear starter, to climb this passing chart for the Miami Dolphins.

And if we reach the end of the 2026 season and Willis’ season totals don’t crack the top-5 of this list, it’s probably safe to assume we’ll be set for a whole bunch of quarterback discourse ahead of the 2027 NFL Draft. 3,300 passing yards is less than 195 yards per game across a 17 game schedule. Health willing, we should get there, although it’s ultimately up to him.

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