Examining the Major Impact Malik Willis Already Has Made

Malik Willis has made enough wow-type throws in training camp to excite the Miami Dolphins fan base as he heads into his first season as a bona fide NFL starting quarterback.

But just as importantly, even not more so, he's also already done some impressive work behind the scenes.

This is a time of year when player interviews are inundated with glowing comments about teammates, to the point where those need to be tempered by that background.

But the comments from one-time Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer were a lot more powerful considering he's not on an NFL team at the moment.

POYER'S POWERFUL WORDS

Poyer played with the Dolphins in the 2024 season and has a relationship with some of his former teammates, notably linebacker Tyrel Dodson, with whom he also played while with the Buffalo Bills.

So when Poyer relays what Dodson told him about Willis in a private conversation, it's a lot more impactful than what a current Dolphins teammate might say about the quarterback in front of microphones and TV cameras.

In discussing the outlook for the Dolphins during an interview on NFL On CBS, Poyer said he liked "the energy" of the team and emphasized being able to feel a difference.

And that's when he discussed Willis' role there.

"I have a conversation with a couple guys, Tyrel Dodson, you feel the difference, you feel the sense of urgency, you feel the standard, and I think Malik Willis is a huge part the way he sets the standard every single day when he shows up into the building and the other guys follow that. You see the younger guys following that and that that's what I think makes a great team is when your older guys, when your leaders on the team are setting the standard and showing up to that standard day in and day out because it brings along all the younger guys too. It says, 'Hey, Malik Willis is here at 6:30 in the morning. I need to be here at 6:30 in the morning. You know, he's here getting his lift in before meetings. I need to be here getting my lift in before meetings, and that trickles down.' It's a trickle effect, and I I sense that, and I see that, and the conversations that I have with a lot of those guys, they sense that."

"You can feel the energy, you can feel the difference... I'm excited about this team."

Jordan Poyer loves this new regime for the Dolphins. pic.twitter.com/3qeBaosna0
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) August 19, 2026

Poyer also pointed out he played very early in his career under new Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley when he was DB coach of the Cleveland Browns.

"A lot of respect for him and his career and what he's been able to do," Poyer said. "And so it's so cool to see him go from defensive back coach to defensive coordinator in Green Bay to head coach for the Miami Dolphins and get the guys committed to the standard that I know that he set. And so it's really cool to see from afar."

THE WILLIS WATCH

That Willis has emerged as a leader probably shouldn't be surprising.

First, since he's getting his first shot to be THE guy at quarterback, he's going to be everything in his power to make it successful.

Second, Hafley and GM Jon-Eric Sullivan worked with Willis closely in Green Bay the past two years and they praised his work ethic after signing him to that three-year contract in March.

We wrote during the offseason that one aspect of bringing in Willis that shouldn't be overlooked what how he could help Hafley and Sullivan instill the kind of attitude — culture, if you prefer the term — they want to see the Dolphins exhibit throughout their tenure.

In that sense, it sure does look as though Willis is off to a good start.

Add us as a preferred source on Google