Former Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Malik Willis was handsomely rewarded by the Miami Dolphins last week to start NFL free agency. The Dolphins gave Willis a three-year, $67.5 million deal to be their new starting quarterback going forward.
For Willis, it's a new opportunity to show that his time in Green Bay wasn’t a fluke, but a sign of things to come as he tries to prove that he’s a full-time starter. However, Willis might not have an easy first season in Miami, as the Dolphins just moved their top receiving threat in a trade on Tuesday.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Miami traded standout wide receiver Jayden Waddle to the Denver Broncos. The Dolphins received a haul for Waddle, getting back Denver’s first-round pick, along with their third and fourth round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. Meanwhile, the Broncos got Waddle and a 2026 fourth-round pick.
Malik Willis Might Already Be Second-Guessing His Decision to Sign with Dolphins
Not having Waddle to throw to the ball next season will make things tougher for Willis, who likely knew he was already entering a rebuilding situation. However, the former Packers QB probably hoped to have Waddle and star running back De’Von Achane at his disposal. But that won’t be the case when the season kicks off in September.
Last month, NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported that Miami viewed Waddle and Achane as core players despite teams wanting to trade for them (h/t Kyle Crabbs of A to Z Sports).
"A lot of rival teams are eager to talk to the Dolphins in Indianapolis to see which players they are willing to trade. This is a team that is resetting towards youth. And so, of course, the Dolphins would love to trade Tua (Tagovailoa). There’s going to be some difficulties with the money there. Teams would love for them to trade Jaylen Waddle and De’Von Achane. I’m told, right now, they’re wanting to keep those guys as core players but one name that could create some interest is safety Minkah Fitzpatrick."
As we see, the Dolphins got an offer they couldn’t refuse for their rebuild, and now Willis has to wonder if this situation in Miami will pan out. Waddle was the Dolphins’ unquestioned No. 1 WR with Tyreek Hill getting cut earlier this month.
In his five seasons with the Dolphins, Waddle had 26 touchdowns, while averaging 1007.8 yards per season. He also averaged 108.8 targets per year, which won’t be easy to replace. Achane will likely see an uptick in targets, but it still leaves a large lump sum for the Dolphins’ WR core to pick up.
Without Waddle in the fold, Willis will be throwing the ball to Tutu Atwell, Jalen Tolbert, and Malik Washington at wide receiver, and Greg Dulcich at tight end.Â
None of those guys are WR1 or WR2s; better yet, they’re more suited to be WR3s with their skill sets. Willis had the luxury of throwing passes to Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden, Romeo Doubs, and Tucker Kraft over the last two years. He doesn’t have those options at his disposal, which will make his first year in Miami must-see TV.
Will Willis still look like the guy we saw in Green Bay over the last two years? Or will the former Packers QB revert to the signal caller we saw with the Tennessee Titans? If it's the latter, Willis will likely wonder if he made the right decision to join Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan down in Miami, who haven’t done him any favors before taking a first snap.