Overview
- Willis, throwing the ceremonial first pitch Friday at the Marlins-Phillies game in Miami, released early and sent the ball high to the backstop in a moment MLB posted with the caption "just a bit high."
- The clip drew heavy online ridicule, and Willis later wrote "I slipped" on Instagram, with NFL.com noting he showed better form while taking swings in the batting cage.
- The 26-year-old signed a three-year, $67.5 million deal in March to lead the Dolphins under new leadership tied to his Green Bay tenure with GM Jon‑Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley.
- Coverage stressed that throwing a baseball is different from throwing a football, pointing to Willis’ efficient Packers sample of 70 completions on 89 attempts for 972 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions.
- Outlets framed the toss as a minor optics blip, noting that bad first pitches are common viral fodder and often say little about an athlete’s actual performance in their own sport.