There are no shortage of hot seats every year in the NFL. For the Miami Dolphins, most of those hot seat situations came to a head this past winter. Chris Grier, Mike McDaniel, Tua Tagovailoa and many more — all out.

But the Dolphins’ bid to rebuild has brought about a fresh face that will undoubtedly face plenty of scrutiny. Quarterback Malik Willis is getting his big break. But with such a small sample size as a starter, he’s not getting much leash in the court of public opinion. So much so that some are already tabbing Willis as one of the five quarterbacks with the most at stake this season.

Is Miami Dolphins Malik Willis among the five most high stakes quarterbacks this season?

“Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis has the opportunity to show he can be a full-time starter after signing a three-year deal worth $22.5 million per year. Willis was a third-round pick by the Tennessee Titans and had a shaky start to his career in Nashville before the Titans traded him to the Green Bay Packers for a seventh-round pick in 2024.

In Green Bay, Willis rebuilt his value with strong performances as a backup to Jordan Love. He made three starts over two years with the Packers and was efficient when he played, but the sample size remained small. Now in Miami without the strongest supporting cast, Willis needs to perform well to keep his job and prove he can be a viable starter for coach Jeff Hefley’s team.”

Ferreira knows Willis well. He’s A to Z Sports’ Packers beat writer and has seen the Willis effect up close and personally for the last two seasons. And, ultimately, he’s likely right about Willis’ prospects in Miami this season. The Miami Dolphins are committed to Willis for the 2026 and his guarantees will likely keep him in South Florida for 2027 at a minimum as well. But the whole appeal of Miami’s signing of Willis in free agency was that it came at a relative discount to other starting quarterback contracts.

That doesn’t come with a lot of overhead. Willis was guaranteed less on his total three year contract than the team paid Tua Tagovailoa to go away this offseason.

That means he’s got an opportunity. But he isn’t guaranteed much of anything beyond a chance to take the bull by the horns in 2026. I think Willis can. Physical talent certainly isn’t a limitation and the Miami Dolphins’ leadership brass has a strong preexisting relationship. But if the Miami Dolphins find themselves with erratic play from Willis this season and a high draft choice, a new quarterback will certainly be in play. But is he really among the five most high-stakes quarterbacks?

Willis is a high-stakes player — but top-five may be a reach

Yes. Willis is a high-stakes quarterback. But I do believe there are a few omissions from Ferreira’s list worth mentioning who have less security than Willis. Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray made the cut in the top-five. But Murray’s new teammate, JJ McCarthy, also has a massive season ahead. And while playing on a rookie contract, he’ll be facing a chance to earn a fifth-year option by the time this season is up. While also competing with Murray for the starting job.

Baker Mayfield is in a contract year after looking like an MVP candidate for half the season last year. He faded hard, however — and needs to convince the Bucs he’s worth a new, handsome deal. Willis, alternatively, has $21.5 million guaranteed in 2027. Daniel Jones looked to breathe new life into his career in Indianapolis but ended the season on injured reserve. And he, despite signing a two-year, $88 million deal this offseason, has no guarantees in 2027.

So while Willis has plenty at stake and must prove he’s a long-term starter, I’m not convinced there aren’t five or more NFL quarterbacks with more on the line this season.

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