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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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After filling in as a backup quarterback for the Green Bay Packers last season, Malik Willis became a free agent and is taking his talents to Miami. On Monday, news broke that he'd agreed to a deal with the Dolphins to become their new starter.
That news hit just hours after the news that the Dolphins released Tua Tagovailoa after his five seasons with the team. It immediately raised questions about where Tua would sign, but soon brought Willis to Miami.
The initial report indicated he will sign a three-year $67.5M contract with the Dolphins with $45M guaranteed. Willis won't officially sign that deal until Wednesday after 4 p.m. Eastern Time, when the NFL's calendar year begins.
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Soon after the news of his agreement, Willis appeared via video chat on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Monday to discuss his new situation.
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“I’m great. Super excited to be down there. Guys, I know, [head coach Jeff Hafley] and [GM Jon-Eric Sullivan], real familiar with those guys. Excited to go to work and do something special,” Willis told McAfee.
“I’m just trying to take advantage of every opportunity I can get,” he said of playing in the NFL, indicating he’d “leave all of that in the past” as far as other teams contacting him and when he knew he was leaving Green Bay for Miami.
“I’m just trying to go down there and do what I can to help them do some special things. Taking it one day at a time, putting the work in and seeing where the chips fall,” he said.
Willis entered the league in 2022, first playing for the Tennessee Titans before joining Green Bay in 2024. With the latter, he participated in 11 games, starting three of them as a replacement for QB1 Jordan Love.
His career stats include a 3-3 record with 1,322 passing yards and six touchdown passes. In addition, Willis has 405 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
He'll join a Dolphins team headed in a new direction at quarterback and head coach. In the offseason, Miami parted ways with Mike McDaniel after four seasons and ultimately hired former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as their new head coach.
Hafley now gets the talents of his former team's steady backup QB, with Willis looking to make an immediate impact in his fresh start in Miami.
Read more: Dolphins Release Tua Tagovailoa Before NFL Free Agency
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