Malik Willis gave fans reason to cheer during his Miami Dolphins debut. And any thoughts of buyer's remorse evaporated when compared with Tua Tagovailoa's first game as an Atlanta Falcon. Dolphins fans were passionately defensive of Tagovailoa from the moment he became the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The former national champion at Alabama fought injuries throughout his six seasons in South Florida, namely the closely inspected and hotly debated concussions that have come to define his career. But he did lead one of the NFL's most dynamic offenses for a two-year stretch that included playoff berths, leading the league in passing yards in a Pro Bowl 2023 season. Then came the downslide that started the moment he signed an extension worth over $200 million before the 2024 campaign. Injuries held him to 11 games that year, and he was benched the following season amid a career-worst 15 interceptions. The Dolphins cleaned house after 2025, cutting Tagovailoa despite nearly $100 million worth of dead money to start anew. Shop for Miami Dolphins tickets
Malik Willis impresses in Dolphins debut Miami signed Willis to a three-year deal in free agency, hoping the promise he showed spelling Jordan Love in Green Bay would translate into being the next franchise quarterback. He certainly looked the part in his preseason debut Friday, Aug. 14, against the Washington Commanders, leading a 16-play, 91-yard touchdown drive on his lone possession. Willis went 4 of 5 for 43 yards, including an enticing 28-yard strike to rookie Caleb Douglas that featured an impressive juggling act.
Caleb Douglas oh my 😮 MIAvsWAS Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/21vkGuMeTb — NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2026 Willis also showed off his scrambling talents, running twice for 9 yards. He drew praise from coach Jeff Hafley after the game. "Extremely composed, very accurate, just the leadership in the huddle," Hafley said. "Very clean, very, very clean. And that's a really, really good first step." Tua Tagovailoa play in his Falcons debut? The new guy's promising start serves in stark contrast to the guy he replaced. Tagovailoa had an admittedly tougher task against the Denver Broncos, who were one game and one devastating QB injury away from making the Super Bowl last year. But there's no denying which one had the better day. Tua also started Friday, as he expects to do when the regular season opens and Michael Penix continues to rehab from a torn ACL. He fumbled the second snap of the game and went 3 of 5 for 22 yards, completing passes to no one but Kyle Pitts, including a 6-yard out on third-and-14. A clip of Penix and Tagovailoa on the bench went viral overnight, showing what doesn't appear to be a strong QB room in Atlanta.
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The Falcons expect to contend in the NFC South, while the Dolphins are widely forecast to vie for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Yet somehow after one preseason game, the vibes seem better in Miami.
Tagovailoa said after the game that his play was "definitely not up to standard, not even up to par." At the very least, the Dolphins' new QB made easy work of the par-4 first hole. Tua will return to his old stomping grounds to close out the preseason Aug. 28. We'll see how much progress both passers have made over the next two weeks. Dolphins preseason schedule 2026 All times Eastern.
Friday, Aug. 14: Washington 20, Miami 7 Saturday, Aug. 22: vs. NY Giants | 4 p.m. | NFL Network, CBS 4 Miami (WPTV in West Palm Beach) | Fubo (free trial) Friday, Aug. 28: vs. Atlanta | 7 p.m. | CBS 4 Miami (WPTV in West Palm Beach)
Dolphins schedule 2026 All times Eastern.
Week 1: at Las Vegas | 4:25 p.m. Sept. 13 | Fox Week 2: at San Francisco | 4:25 p.m. Sept. 20 | Fox Week 3: vs. Kansas City | 1 p.m. Sept. 27 | CBS Week 4: at Minnesota | 4:05 p.m. Oct. 4 | Fox Week 5: vs. Cincinnati | 1 p.m. Oct. 11 | Fox Week 6: Bye Week 7: at NY Jets | 1 p.m. Oct. 25 | CBS Week 8: vs. New England | 4:25 p.m. Nov. 1 | CBS Week 9: vs. Detroit | 1 p.m. Nov. 8 | Fox Week 10: at Indianapolis | 1 p.m. Nov. 15 | CBS Week 11: at Buffalo | 1 p.m. Nov. 22 | Fox Week 12: vs. NY Jets | 1 p.m. Nov. 27 | CBS Week 13: at Denver | 4:05 p.m. Dec. 6 | Fox Week 14: vs. Chicago | 1 p.m. Dec. 13 | CBS Week 15: at Green Bay | 1 p.m. Dec. 20 | Fox Week 16: vs. LA Chargers | 1 p.m. Dec. 27 | Fox Week 17: vs. Buffalo | 1 p.m. Jan. 3 | CBS Week 18: at New England | TBD
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Malik Willis' first start looks even better next to Tua Tagovailoa's