At 9-5-1, the Green Bay Packers aren’t quite where they’d like to be this season. They won’t win as many games as last year. There’s a chance they may not even make the playoffs.
Yet, that doesn’t mean there haven’t been several individuals who have enjoyed a strong season. Others, have put together impressive careers in Green Bay, but some are on expiring contracts, which puts their future in a Packers uniform in some level of doubt.
One player who may not return next season is backup quarterback Malik Willis, who’s filled in whenever Jordan Love has been hurt, and excelled. While the Packers love what Willis has offered, he’s on an expiring contract, and other QB-needy teams will surely have interest.
Recently, ESPN’s Dan Graziano suggested that even if the Packers do want to re-sign Willis to a contract extension, it could be easier said than done.
“Speaking of Willis, he’s a very intriguing free agent to watch next spring. He was the 86th pick in the 2022 draft, which means he’s playing on the fourth and final year of his rookie deal. He is 26 years old and has now spent basically two full seasons being coached by Matt LaFleur, Adam Stenavich and the Packers’ offensive coaching staff, and he has played well when he has had to fill in for Love because of injury. As we discussed above, there are a lot of teams that are going to be in the QB market this offseason. Not all of them will be able to address the position via the draft, and several have their eyes on Willis as a potential solution given what he has been able to do in Green Bay. The Packers like him a lot and could try to keep him, but if he has a chance to go somewhere else and compete for a starting job, that might be tough to do.”
ESPN on Malik Willis
Willis has led the Packers to a 2-0 record when starting games for them last season. He’s completed an impressive 76.5% of his passes in that span (52-of-68) for 684 yards and five touchdowns without throwing an interception. He even engineered a game-winning drive.
But Willis hasn’t just impressed with his arm, he’s also racked up 201 rushing yards and a touchdown, showing off his abilities as a dual-threat QB. Those types of playmakers are always in high demand, and that’s expected to be the case this offseason as well.
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