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.
- Malik Willis stats: 132.2 QB rating, 76.5% completion rate, 5-0 TD-INT, 10.1 yards per attempt, 684 passing yards, 201 rushing yards, 6.1 yards per carry in 10 games
Ahead of his fourth career start with the Packers, we’re identifying potential landing spots for Willis in NFL free agency this coming offseason.
Miami Dolphins
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
New York Jets
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 year with Tyler Shough.
Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is recovering from the third ACL surgery of his career, so it is not a safe bet that he can reclaim the starting job and keep it for the start of the 2026 season. As for Kirk Cousins, the number of teams needing stability at quarterback next season could entice Atlanta to flip him for a mid-round draft pick.
If Cousins is moved, we like Atlanta as a potential landing spot for Malik Willis. He is a Georgia native who would step into an offense with playmakers like Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts, who could raise his floor as a passer and take some of the weight of the offense off his shoulders. Plus, if a starting spot is available in Atlanta, perhaps Willis would be willing to offer a hometown discount to be the Falcons’ quarterback next season.
Indianapolis Colts
Daniel Jones faces a long road back from surgery to repair his Achilles tear, and given how much of his game depends on athleticism, it is not a safe bet he will return to form in 2026. As for Philip Rivers, it probably wouldn’t be wise for the Indianapolis Colts to bet anything on a 44-year-old quarterback for an entire season. So, why not Malik Willis?
He would be stepping into a good situation. Colts head coach Shane Steichen is an excellent play-caller and has demonstrated throughout his tenure with Indianapolis that he knows how to design an offense around his quarterback’s strengths. Plus, the Colts offense is largely centered around running back Jonathan Taylor and increasingly tight end Tyler Warren. Willis could take a one-year deal to be the Colts starting quarterback in 2026, to see if he could replicate some of the success Jones had pre-injury and turn that into a bigger contract the following offseason.
