Dolphins supporting Malik Willis will be difficult for Tua Tagovailoa reason

The Miami Dolphins made a major free agent decision, signing Malik Willis to be their new quarterback on a $67.5 million contract over the next three years.

While there are a lot of unknowns with Willis's game, after making just six starts in his NFL career up until this point, there is plenty of upside and optimism. As long as he has a good supporting cast around him, Willis should be fine.

But that's easier said than done. As Jeff Howe of The Athletic pointed out, the Dolphins, thanks to Tua Tagovailoa and his $99.2 million dead cap hit, will have a very difficult time supporting Willis with the right weapons going forward.

Dolphins will have a hard time supporting Malik Willis thanks to Tua Tagovailoa

"Willis, the expected starter for the first time in his career, needs help, and the Dolphins are anything but a turnkey situation," Howe writes. "They're swimming in dead money due to the release of Tua Tagovailoa and are paring payroll just to be cap compliant, which is an extremely dangerous situation for any QB, let alone one with only six career starts."

Miami is in a tough spot. They had to move on from Tagovailoa and have incurred a $99.2 million dead cap hit, $54 million of which is hitting their books in 2026.

To properly support Willis in his first real chance to be the full-time starting quarterback, the Dolphins and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan need to surround their new QB with talent.

Fortunately, Jaylen Waddle and De'Von Achane are a great start. Those two are among the best at their respective positions, and with an unproven quarterback, they should be instrumental in aiding Willis to turn into a proper NFL starter.

More: Dolphins agree to $67.5 million deal with Malik Willis

But, outside of those two, the Dolphins' skill players are very lackluster. At running back, Olli Gordon II and Jaylen Wright are solid options, but the wide receiver and tight end rooms are very shaky.

Behind Waddle are Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell, Theo Wease Jr., Tahj Washington, AJ Henning, and Terrace Marshall. Washington, Tolbert, and Atwell are interesting options, but they're not number twos, which they are currently.

Greg Dulcich, Ben Sims, Jalin Conyers, Cole Turner, and Zack Kuntz round out the tight end room. Again, a few interesting names, but no one that the Dolphins could be fully confident in to be a legitimate starter in the NFL.

Miami needs to add more offensive firepower for Willis at wide receiver and tight end. However, with limited cap space thanks to Tagovailoa's release, Miami might be hard-pressed to get Willis the help he deserves.

Being smart with cheap fliers, like those on Tolbert and Atwell, is the kind of move the Dolphins need to make. If just one hits, the Tagovailoa dead cap hit might not be as big an impact as it looks to be right now.

More Dolphins news:

• Jaylen Waddle reveals he is going nowhere amid trade rumors
• De'Von Achane expected to have extension talks with Dolphins
• Tua Tagovailoa is big winner of free agency after joining Falcons
• Tua Tagovailoa quickly picked Falcons after release from Dolphins
• Dolphins trade Minkah Fitzpatrick to Jets for late round pick
• Tua Tagovailoa will have $60+ million cap hit for Dolphins in 2026