The Miami Dolphins placed quarterback Malik Willis on injured reserve Tuesday after an MRI on Monday showed a core muscle injury. Coach Jeff Hafley said the team hopes the stint will be short, and he said Willis will be the starter when he is healthy again.
Willis had been playing through a groin injury that limited his mobility in the Week 9 loss to Detroit. Hafley said doctors decided the injury needed rest. It is not yet clear whether Willis will play again this season.
Backup Kyle McCord will start in the meantime. McCord, 24, spent the 2025 season on the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad and was traded to Miami in August after Green Bay signed him in January. He went 46 of 70 for 446 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions in three preseason games with the Packers.
Willis has completed 58.2% of his passes for 1,396 yards, with six touchdowns and six interceptions in eight starts. Miami signed him in March to a three-year, $67.5 million contract.
The Dolphins also lost other players. Veteran defensive lineman Zach Sieler went on season-ending injured reserve with a ruptured biceps, and running back De’Von Achane has been out since September with a knee injury. With three of the team’s six captains injured, linebacker Josh Uche was named captain for the first time in his career.
