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Browns' rumored QB target lands with Dolphins in NFL free agency
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- Browns' rumored QB target lands with Dolphins in NFL free agency
The top quarterback target in the 2026 NFL free agency window wastes very little time taking his talents to South Beach, signing with the Miami Dolphins and not with the Cleveland Browns .
Malik Willis inked a deal with the Miami Dolphins on Monday to be their next quarterback after they made it official and just cut their former first-round draft pick, Tua Tagovailoa , on Sunday. The writing was on the wall for this signing as the new head coach for the Dolphins, Jeff Hafley, spent plenty of time with Willis together in Green Bay .
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Willis is a fascinating Free Agency target because his career to this point has been up and down in just a couple of seasons. He started his career by being a third round pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2022. After getting an opportunity to be the starter for the Titans, he went to Green Bay and was able to reset his career.
In Green Bay, he played in just four games, completing 30 of 35 passes for 422 yards and three touchdowns to go along with 122 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns on the ground.
The official numbers on Willis' new deal in Miami are three years, $67.5 million, with $45 million guaranteed.
Willis is absolutely one of the great beneficiaries of what Sam Darnold did in Minnesota and Seattle in these past two years. Darnold was able to turn his career around and open up a legitimate market for guys who may have had a bad start in their first home and are getting a chance in a new place.
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For Cleveland, the deal was always going to be a little bit rich for the Browns to nail down. The Deshaun Watson contract is going to loom large for just one more season on the Browns' books, which will give them a little bit more flexibility.
However, a big dollar value has never stopped the Browns before. If they wanted to take a swing at Willis, they could have, but ultimately, it proved to be too risky.
This move shapes the quarterback room in Cleveland and nearly forms it completely. News broke this week that Dillon Gabriel is not in the running for the starter, which leaves a QB competition between the aforementioned Watson and Shedeur Sanders .
Unless something wild happens, expect that to be the way the Browns walk into 2026 in their quarterback room.
Follow along here with all things Browns Free Agency!
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns' QB target Malik Willis signs with Dolphins in NFL free agency
