There’s something I’m eager to see this season regarding Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis: How does the team manage his explosive running game?
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Willis and the Dolphins must decide whether there is a magic/desirable number when it comes to season rushing yards, yards per attempt and attempts per game.
My initial guess for Willis’ ideal numbers in 2026 are 600 rushing yards, 5.0 yards per attempt and 5.0 attempts per game. Those numbers would have put Willis among the NFL’s top three rushing quarterbacks in each of the past three years. And they’d probably rate there again this year.
The NFL’s top three rushing quarterbacks last season — Buffalo’s Josh Allen (579 yards, 5.2 ypa, 6.6 apg), Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers (498 yards, 6.0 ypa, 5.2 apg) and Jaxson Dart of the New York Giants (487 yards, 5.7 ypa, 6.1 apg) — all came close to those thresholds.
But realistically, considering there are so many X factors — the Dolphins are rebuilding, it’s a new offense, Willis is a first-year starter playing for a first-year coach (Jeff Hafley) and a new offensive coordinator (Bobby Slowik) along with a suspect receiving corps — it’s tough to know what to expect statistically from Willis’ running game.
We didn’t see Willis use his legs much during organized team activities or minicamp. However, we know his quick-twitch run skills are next level. The Dolphins must make that aspect of his game an asset.
We also know that Willis must run with the ball on a somewhat regular basis to make defenses respect and fear that talent.
Philosophically, the Dolphins probably want Willis, who is athletically-built at 6-foot-1, 225 pounds, to be an agile pocket-passing quarterback who has the ability to run, as opposed to a running quarterback.
The bigger thing to keep in mind is that the run must be established as a big part of Willis’ game.
Willis averaged a career-best 5.5 carries per game in four games for Green Bay last season. But for his career, Willis averages just 3.4 carries per game in 22 games.
Obviously, running with the ball comes with an injury risk for quarterbacks.
Allen (6-5, 237), a hard-running quarterback, and Baltimore’s fleet-footed Lamar Jackson (6-2, 205) have both had to reconcile that dilemma. Others are struggling to find the right balance.
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Dart (6-2, 223) rushed for nine touchdowns last season but his winner-take-all style brought on concussion issues. He was evaluated for concussions at least five times, including the preseason, and missed two regular-season games due to a concussion.
In 2024, slender Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels (6-4, 210) burst upon the scene as the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year partly because he rushed for 891 yards and six touchdowns.
But injury concerns followed in 2025, and Daniels was limited to seven games due to left knee, right hamstring and left elbow injuries. Two of those injuries came on running plays. It should be noted that Daniels’ season-ending left elbow injury, unrelated to the injury on the run, came when Daniels was trying to make a play on an interception return.
Still, the injury risk to a quarterback who runs the ball is real.
Willis’ build isn’t as sturdy as Allen’s or Herbert’s.
But Willis’ size aligns with Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts (6-1, 223), who was the sixth-leading rusher among quarterbacks last season with 421 yards to go along with 4.0 yards per attempt and 6.6 attempts per game.
It’ll be up to Hafley and Willis himself to decide what’s the right balance to make Willis’ legs a weapon instead of a liability or a crutch.
The 27-year-old Willis, who is entering his fifth season, only has six starts and in a mere 22 games. So anything we’ve seen in his career is based on a small sample size.
As far as my hopes/expectations for Willis in 2026, I’ll add that there’s no pattern for NFL success tied to a quarterback’s rushing numbers. It all depends on specific situations.
Ultimately, the Dolphins must decide what’s right for their specific situation. But to maximize Willis’ talents as a quarterback, his running skills must be a major factor in Miami’s offense — while not overexposing him to injury risk.
Most figure Willis should be among the NFL’s top running quarterbacks. It’ll be interesting, and exciting, to see whether that comes true.
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