Sportsnaut
Backup quarterback Malik Willis has been an underrated key to the Green Bay Packers’ success in recent seasons, stepping up multiple times in placed of an injured Jordan Love without the offense missing much of a beat. Finally, Willis will get his chance to earn a real pay day in NFL free agency this spring.
Selected by the Tennessee Titans with the 86th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the 6-foot-1 quarterback was trending toward becoming a draft bust early in his career. Green Bay acquired him in August 2024 for a seventh-round pick and he’s been great for them when needed ever since.
Ahead of his fourth career start with the Packers, we’re identifying potential landing spots for Willis in NFL free agency this coming offseason.
The Miami Dolphins won’t have a first-round pick high enough to take one of the top quarterback prospects from the 2026 NFL Draft, and the potential release of Tua Tagovailoa will eat up more than $70 million in dead cap. What that means is head coach Mike McDaniel will have to make do with a cheaper, stop-gap starting quarterback, and Malik Willis feels like the right fit.
He would add to a Dolphins run game that has really taken off in the second half of the season, providing a nice dual-threat partner in the backfield to support running back De’Von Achane. It is also worth noting Willis’ success throwing downfield over the last two seasons (7-for-9 for 259 yards), and he did a good job on throws between 0–9 yards in Matt LaFleur’s system. Given the relatively low cost of signing him, he should be an enticing option for Miami, and the Dolphins could offer him a clearer path to the starting job in 2026.
Related: Potential NFL Cap Casualties 2026
We will remain of the belief heading into the offseason that the New York Jets will look for a bridge starter at quarterback rather than taking one early in the 2026 NFL Draft. That is due in part to the relative weakness of this year’s quarterback class and the fact that New York will have three first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, meaning the franchise can have significantly more control over which quarterback it lands.
Malik Willis is an intriguing option for New York, assuming he is willing to take a one-year deal. Truthfully, he has shown more flashes as a passer over the last two seasons in limited snaps than Justin Fields did this season as the Jets’ starting quarterback. Furthermore, offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand seems to favor having a dual-threat under center to operate his offense. Signing Willis also wouldn’t prevent the Jets from taking a quarterback on Day 2 to see if they can replicate what the Saints have found this...
