Read the full transcript from QB Malik Willis' media availability on October 21, 2026.

What type of self-evaluation did you do during the bye week?

Malik Willis: More than anything, just watched all the clips and kind of see what's doing good and what's not doing good and where's that disconnect and where are we having the most, I guess, confusion and where we're just not on the same page. I think it was great.

Are you a guy that uses that extra time to really dive into the film or is it also important to kind of disconnect from the game, take some time away, relax as well?

Malik Willis: It's a little bit of both. You have to actually do your job and continue to try to get better at your job, but at the same time you got to take a deep breath and take a break. That's what it's for. This is a long season and there's a lot of ups and downs, a lot of emotions that come with it. Just try to do your best to stay centered and understand that. Take it one step at a time, one day at a time.

What do you think is the best way for everyone to be on the same page more often moving forward?

Malik Willis: I think everybody's been doing a great job of that. I mean, Haf and Bobby have been doing a great job putting us in positions to make sure that we're focused on what we need to do and just explaining the reasons why and how it all connects to each other and making sure that everybody's on the same page. Because like I said, sometimes it's nine out of 11, 10 out of 11 doing the right thing and then one person's not, it'll mess up the whole play. It's not always that evident watching from the outside, but when we get into the film room, it's like, OK, that's what we mean when it's like it's that close, you know what I mean? It's easy to say, but you guys go by the results and we haven't proven those.

I saw that the Jets rank fourth against the pass. What do they do particularly well in that area?

Malik Willis: I think they have a good scheme. Coach Glenn, he does a great job. He did in Detroit as well as what he's doing now. I think that they have some good DBs on the back end and they have some good rush up front.

How helpful would it be to potentially get Caleb back?

Malik Willis: I think it's been awesome seeing him out there and getting back comfortable and just gaining that confidence he had going before he went down.

How much have you been able to do with him in the two practices that he's been back, as far as working with him in practice?

Malik Willis: He's been good. I mean, we haven't been doing anything too crazy, just making sure that we're continuing to focus on the fundamentals and getting better at our positions, connecting today, focusing on the game plan. I think it was awesome seeing him just staying sharp and making sure that he was studying when he wasn't out there on the field. I think he looked good out there.

What have you noticed about the Jets pass rush?

Malik Willis: I think they have a stout front and I think they have some rushers on the edge that can get after the quarterback. And they obviously have a great leader in Mr. (Demario) Davis there and (Jamien) Sherwood as well. I think they do a great job.

You'll face your first defensive head coach for the first time as a Dolphin this week. I'm curious whether Hafley has or will give you tips about how Glenn will try to attack.

Malik Willis: We'll just see how the week goes. Today we're more focused on getting everything we want in the game plan today and we'll try to focus on today and watch the tape. And later on in the week maybe we have something like that, maybe we don't, who knows?

I'm just curious in general, is the benefit of having a defensive head coach that he can help you with how defenses will attack you?

Malik Willis: Oh, for sure. He definitely gives me his perspective on how he thinks they might attack me. And obviously, the play caller on the other side goes out and calls his plays how he wants to. But at the same time, he's thinking schematically. I think he does give me his opinion on how they might try to attack us.

Did you know that Bobby Slowik's brother is the Jets defensive backs coach?

Malik Willis: Yeah, we figured that out last week on the bye week, before practice. He was like, "oh, yeah, my brother's over there." I was like, "oh, that's crazy. Y'all going at it?" And he's like, "no, we're chilling, but we can't talk this week."

Yeah, he was here last year.

Malik Willis: That's crazy. Small world.

When you were evaluating the first chunk of games, what were some of the conversations surrounding like the turnovers, fumbling and the ball security issues that were happening?

Malik Willis: It just can't happen, you know? I mean, regardless of what went down to force the turnovers, you just can't have them, regardless. And just risk management because there's no fault, it's just the turnover goes to me, so it doesn't matter. It's on me, I just gotta – we can't turn it over.

Is it easy for you to kind of flush a previous play and move on, have a next play mentality or does it take you a minute to kind of get locked back in when those things happen?

Malik Willis: I mean not really. More than anything, I feel like it matters more to you guys than it does to me. I just continue to play ball and go out and play the next snap because that's call you can do. That's all you can focus on. You can't go back. You can't be like, "wait, that didn't count. That don't count." Like it's not. You just got to play the next play. And I've played enough ball and had enough ups and downs where it doesn't really bother me. I'm confident in what I can do and the ability I have and even what I put on tape. So obviously you have unfortunate things that happen, but who are you when the unfortunate (happens)? Who are you when the adversity hits? That's what I try to focus on, continuing to be who I am.

I'm curious, who are you when the adversity hits? Like, are you somebody that – obviously 0-5, like you're the quarterback, but I'm sure there's things outside of football that you enjoy. What are some of those things outside of football?

Malik Willis: I mean, the Lord, bro. I keep waking up every day. I got an opportunity to come in here and do my job. I have a family that loves me. I have more than enough. I make it to work safe every day, bro, it's a dangerous world. And we just overlook all these things that are blessings, I try not to do that. And at the same time, I hold myself to the highest of standards and I just try to focus on the process. Am I doing everything in my power? Did I go to the right spot? OK, I went to the right spot. Did we have whatever? It doesn't matter. Just making sure the process is right and then the results will come at some point, but I can't focus based on the results because I could be doing everything right and not have a good result. Now where are my morals? Like now I'm like, "oh, that sucks because I didn't get what I wanted." Like, no, the process was right, just didn't execute. Just staying focused on that, I think that's what keeps me sane.

So the team is fourth in the NFL in yards per rush, 4.9 yards per rush. How can that help you do your job as the season progresses?

Malik Willis: I think it's just continuing to play ball, how we play ball and focusing on executing each play when it's called. When a pass play is called, we execute it that way. When a run play is called, we execute it that way and just continue to do that six seconds at a time for how many plays it takes to go out there and win a game. That's all we're trying to do is get our first win, build that confidence. After we get that first win, we try to get that second win. All this focus right now is 1-0. We're trying to go 1-0.

Back on Caleb, when you think back to all the chemistry you developed within OTAs and training camp, just how much of a boost can provide in his return if and when that does happen?

Malik Willis: I'm just glad that he's feeling good and excited for him to get a chance to come back out there and play ball. I think he did a great job in the first few weeks and he was continuing to grow and I just hope that he can continue to grow as we take this next step and he gets back in there.

How familiar are you with the Jets-Dolphins rivalry and do rivalries even really exist in the NFL?

Malik Willis: I mean, you try to go out and win every game you can, but obviously division games, it means a lot to not only the city, but just that whole conference. Like that's what it comes down to when you getting playoff berths. That's what it comes down to when you go against them every year, like that's your schedule. Obviously you have the out of conference games and all those, but this is your schedule. This is the one you have to own year in and year out. And I think that they've been doing a great job within this conference before I got here, obviously, and we'll take it one game at a time. And when we have these opportunities, we're going to try to do our best to take advantage of them.

Chris Bell hasn't been able to kind of get it going the last couple of games – no catches, five targets. What have you said or would you say to him, being a young guy, about what you and the team need from him?

Malik Willis: I think he's just continuing to grow, bro. I mean, he's a rookie. He's just trying to figure it out. Obviously, I have issues and maybe I've missed him a couple of times. Who knows? I got to go back and watch again. But at the same time, I just tell him, don't lose any confidence. Just like if I go out there and turn the ball over, it's like, don't lose any confidence, just continue to play. Obviously, learn from that mistake and try to not make that same mistake. And then we go out there and we play ball. Like he obviously has put some good stuff on tape as well. And it would be wrong to try to only focus on the negatives and mitigate his success as well. So I mean, I wouldn't say it as "no, you just need to do better." Like no, just continue to do what you're doing. Focus on what the details are in your route and the concept that we're trying to run and make sure that you're doing everything that you can. And it's me continuing to communicate what I'm looking for out of him. I think I got to do a better job of that.

Last week we noticed you weren't throwing at the bye week practice. Obviously, you're back now. What can you say about whatever you were dealing with and coming back from it?

Malik Willis: He was just like all the guys that played in the game, like the older guys, he just wanted to get us a little rest. And he wanted to get some young guys in there and see how they were progressing throughout the season. But pretty good.

You mentioned before some scribble drill mishaps that have happened during the games. Is that like just a natural product of building chemistry with receivers or is there something that you guys pinpointed that could be better?

Malik Willis: No, it's something that definitely can be better. I think that it starts with me as far as communicating what I want and what we need to be doing so we don't have those type of mishaps because that's a game-changing play, a turnover, you know what I mean? And that's not on them. That's on me for not communicating what I need on that. And obviously not seeing Malik come back into the play, but at the same time, like that's on me. Like I said, the turnover is on me. So I just got to communicate and look within and making sure I'm saying to them what I need accomplished as far as we go on that.