Editor's note: This is Part 2 of 10 in Joe Schad'sMiami Dolphins summer series Q&A
MIAMI GARDENS ― The Miami Dolphins have not won a playoff game since December of 2000.
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But in September they'll begin a new era.
General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, coach Jeff Hafley and quarterback Malik Willis all come to South Florida from Green Bay.
Miami hopes to build around running back De'Von Achane, center Aaron Brewer, linebacker Jordyn Brooks and a handful of youngsters like Kadyn Proctor, Kenneth Grant, Chris Johnson, Patrick Paul and Jacob Rodriguez.
For now, there are far more questions than answers. But our Joe Schad hopes to set the table for the rebuild with 10 questions that will define the 2026 Dolphins season.
Part 2 of 10: Miami Dolphins' 2026 Q&A with Joe Schad
The Question: What does a 'successful' 2026 season look like for Malik Willis?
The Answer: If Malik Willis can perform well enough in 2026 that the Dolphins choose not to select a quarterback early in the 2027 NFL Draft, he will have done his job.
It will not be fair to judge Willis by solely wins and losses. But if he can carry Miami to two or three or more victories that the oddsmakers did not expect, he will have done his job.
We know Willis is strong-armed and mobile. As important is this: is he accurate enough and does he make enough good decisions?
In 11 appearances, including three starts, with the Packers, Willis posted a passer rating of 134.6. Including a poor start to his career in Tennessee, Willis' career passer rating is 98.9.
Passer rating is not the defining statistic, but exceeding 98.5 in 2026 is a reasonable goal. Last season, Jalen Hurts had a passer rating of 98.5, which was 12th in the NFL.
The Dolphins don't figure to score a ton of touchdowns in 2026. So more important will be a goal for Willis of, say, fewer than 10 interceptions. That would be a good sign.
Does Willis emerge as a trusted team leader? Does Willis make something-out-of-nothing more than we've seen in Miami in years? And does he give Miami leaders pause about needing to draft a QB in 2027?
If yes, Willis will have had a successful season.
Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 10 Questions That Will Define the Dolphins’ Season: Summer Q&A Series