It’s a period of significant movement in South Florida following the confirmed departure of Tua Tagovailoa. The Miami Dolphins quickly moved to find a replacement for their former franchise quarterback, agreeing to bring in Malik Willis.
The now former Green Bay Packers player, according to Marcel Louis-Jacques via his X account, agreed to a three-year contract worth $67.5 million, including $45 million guaranteed. In 2026, Willis is getting a $22.5M signing bonus as well as a $1.25M fully guaranteed salary.
In 2026, the Dolphins are set to pay Tagovailoa $55 million in total, a figure that became fully guaranteed in March 2025. Following the team’s official announcement of his release today, Miami will assume an NFL-record $99.2 million in dead cap.
By using a post-June 1 designation, the Dolphins will split this hit across two seasons, with $67.4 million counting against the 2026 salary cap. Willis, on the other hand, will have a $8.75M cap charge for Miami. Looking ahead, Tua will have to look for new horizons, while Willis will have to compete for his spot alongside Quinn Ewers.
Willis’ numbers with the Packers
During his tenure with the Green Bay Packers, Malik Willis revitalized his career by providing elite efficiency in relief of Jordan Love. Across 11 regular-season appearances between 2024 and 2025, he completed a remarkable 78.7% of his passes for 972 yards, 6 touchdowns, and zero interceptions, posting a career-best 134.6 passer rating in Green Bay.
His dual-threat capability remained a weapon as he added 261 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground. These standout performances, including a perfect 2-0 record as a starter in 2024, ultimately led to his three-year contract with the Dolphins signed this morning.