Breaking down Malik Willis’ contract with Miami Dolphins
· Yahoo Sports
The Miami Dolphins and free agent quarterback Malik Willis agreed to a three-year, $67.5 million contract on Monday as the NFL opened the 2026 free agency negotiating period. The news of the addition came shortly after news that Miami will release incumbent quarterback Tua Tagovailoa when the new league year officially begins on Wednesday. The Dolphins immediately added their presumed starter to replace Tagovailoa, but what will be the salary cap impact to Willis’ new deal?
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According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the deal will be kind to the Dolphins in 2026 as the team looks to reset its salary cap this year. The deal will ramp up in 2027, but the Dolphins now have a year to work out the salary cap impacts for that season.
Malik Willis contract details
According to Pelissero, the deal includes $45 million guaranteed over the first two years. The contract includes a $22.5 million signing bonus, while Willis will have a $1.25 million salary in 2026, a $21.5 million salary in 2027, and a $20.5 million salary in 2028. The 2026 and 2027 salaries are fully guaranteed, while there is a $2 million roster bonus if Willis is still on the Dolphins’ roster in March 2028.
UPDATE (3/14): The Dolphins included two void years on the contract, which allows them to spread the accounting for the signing bonus over the maximum five years. The chart below has been updated to include those void years.
Salary cap breakdown
Based on those numbers, Willis’ salary cap impacts should be:
YearSigning BonusGuaranteed salaryNon-Guaranteed salaryBonusCap NumberDead Money (If cut) 2026$4.5M$1.25M——$5.7M$45M2027$4.5M$21.5M——$26.0M$39.32028$4.5M—$20.5M$2M$27.0M$13.4M2029$4.5MVOID——$8.9M$8.9M2030$4.5MVOID———$4.5MNote: The total value of the contract is reported to be $67.5 million, but the above math adds up to $67.75 million. Where that $250,000 is aligned is unclear at the time of publication (likely wording between salary and bonus).
- Update: The MMQB’s Albert Breer updated the numbers on Willis’ contract, with a $22.25 million signing bonus listed – which corrected the additional $250,000 in the original breakdown above.
Note 2: Numbers subject to change should numbers be updated when contract is finalized/signed.
Update (3/14 continued): The void years allow Miami to push nearly $9 million in signing bonus beyond the end of the contract. They have essentially agreed to have that $9 million turn into dead money in 2029, when the final two years of the contract are voided. The dead money hit in 2030 will not exist after the void in 2029.