As new Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan begins to review his roster in his mind, he begins to describe the foundation of the team’s future.
Sullivan told team reporters Sunday in an interview the Dolphins posted to YouTube that receiver Jaylen Waddle is an “explosive athlete” with “the ability to create separation at the top of routes.” Sullivan said running back De’Von Akan “can attack from anywhere on the field.” “He was a home run player…a man who changed the world.”
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The 22-year-old Green Bay Packers employee praised Dolphins center Aaron Brewer’s ability in space, left tackle Patrick Paul’s length and linebacker Jordyn Brook’s instincts and offensive ability.
As he chattered about building blocks, Tua Tagovailoa was nowhere to be seen.
Sullivan came closest to acknowledging Tagovailoa during the 15-minute conversation: a conversation about the quarterback’s role in roster assembly.
“We’re going to build this team, starting at quarterback,” Sullivan said, “and then we’re going to build this team from the inside out.”
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Tagovailoa’s omission isn’t a shock. Former head coach Mike McDaniel benched the 2020 first-round draft pick with three games remaining in the season after racking up 15 interceptions and losing four fumbles in 14 games. McDaniel also said in the days between the Dolphins’ finale and his firing, “I think there’s going to be competition for our starting quarterback in 2026.”
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But when the Dolphins fired McDaniel later that week, creating a further leadership void just as general manager Chris Grier was fired midseason, the question resurfaced: Will Tavailoa get his next chance?
Tagovailoa completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 2,660 yards and 20 touchdowns, while his turnover rate also increased. But those interceptions dropped his passer rating to 88.5, which ranked 26th in the league after three consecutive seasons in the top 10.
The new regime could have reaffirmed their faith in him. Conversely, the lack of a Tagovailoa discussion between Sullivan and Dolphins internal reporters is telling.
The answer to Tagovailoa’s successor may be closer to clarification on Monday when the Dolphins announced the hiring of Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as head coach.
Quarterback Malik Willis will be welcomed into free agency this offseason. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
(Patrick McDermott via Getty Images)
Multiple league sources told Yahoo Sports they expect the Dolphins to strongly consider Malik Willis for the starting quarterback job in 2026. Miami’s offensive coordinator’s decision will be a key prerequisite before moving forward with any formal plans. But after Hafley and Sullivan spent two years observing Willis’ practices and meetings, the connection made sense.
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“I think Malik is the starting quarterback target that most people are looking at in free agency, including them,” one NFC talent evaluator told Yahoo Sports.
Other team executives and coaching sources agree, with one noting that the “super talented” Willis appears to have slowed down in his limited action with the Packers this season, while another expects Willis to be a target for the Dolphins “depending on the OC.”
Willis has been strong in limited action this season, although he has played in less than ideal circumstances by backup quarterback standards and at times went without reps during the week.
He completed 85.7 percent of his 35 pass attempts for 422 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions while running for 123 yards and two scores despite two fumbles. Titans 2022 third-round pick (86th Overall), Willis spent two years at Tennessee before moving to Green Bay.
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He caught a touchdown in the Packers’ series against the Giants, while Willis threw for 348 yards and three touchdowns in a late-December loss from scrimmage to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Packers have a long history of developing quarterbacks, including first-round picks Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love who developed into starting quarterbacks over multiple seasons.
Sullivan noted Green Bay’s “30 years of consistent success” during the sit-down.
While he’s often talked about drafting and development as his preferred approach to roster building over free-agent acquisitions, Sullivan’s discussion of evaluating football character and response to adversity hints at the comfort he might find working with a quarterback who isn’t a brand-new colleague.
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Willis will likely sign a deal similar to what Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones have signed in recent years with teams that believe he has upside as a starter. After Jones received $13 million from the Indianapolis Colts last spring, league sources saw the reality of Willis getting $15 million this spring on a multi-year contract with upfront guarantees.
If the Dolphins are interested, they’ll know who to call. Willis’ agent, David Mulugheta, has negotiated two of the largest contracts in Packers history: Love and edge rusher Micah Parsons.
Tagovailoa’s contract won’t make Willis’ cost any easier to stomach: Cutting him this offseason would leave the Dolphins with $99.2 million in dead cap space, compared to $31.8 million a year later.
But just two years ago, the Denver Broncos spent $85 million in cap space to release Russell Wilson, and now they’re hosting the AFC Championship Game. While it would have been more cost-effective to find a quarterback in the draft, and in many ways more like the Packers, the Dolphins didn’t get on the board until No. 11.
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A quarterback ranked outside the top 10 in a draft class widely considered weak at quarterback is unlikely to instill confidence in a player’s present and future readiness.
Willis could bridge that gap.
Sullivan may be coy about his interest, with the new general manager repeating multiple times this week that the Dolphins “don’t want a team full of mercenaries” and that “free agency … can be treacherous waters if you don’t handle it the right way.”
But don’t expect the Dolphins to overlook the impending free agency of a quarterback familiar to Miami decision-makers. Willis’s services would be welcome. A logical suitor awaits.
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“Our job is to make sure, through the draft and other avenues, that this team is as competitive as possible at every position,” Sullivan said, “because competition drives individuals to excellence.”