Cardinals’ Interest in Malik Willis Comes With Eye-Opening Price Tag

We're weeks away from the NFL's free agent period opening, and the Arizona Cardinals are likely in search of their next quarterback.

Talking heads such as Monti Ossenfort and Mike LaFleur both touched on the status of Kyler Murray (well, kind of) during their combine interviews, mostly staying neutral in front of microphones while the expectation — at least away from cameras — is Murray will be moved.

The hot topic on the Cardinals' future of the position has mostly been targeted towards Malik Willis, who is set to hit free agency and is looking to cash in after an impressive stint with the Green Bay Packers.

There's been heavy debates on what exactly Willis will command on the quarterback market, though one NFL insider says the Cardinals will have to open the wallet wide to land his services.

Malik Willis Expected to Command $30 Million Per Year

Green Bay Packers QB Malik Willi — Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis (2) throws during the third quarter of their game against the Baltimore Ravens Saturday, December 27, 2025 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

From NFL insider Jordan Schultz on X:

"#Packers free agent QB Malik Willis is in demand, as expected, and interested teams I’ve spoken to at the Combine in Indianapolis believe him getting at least $30M per year is a foregone conclusion."

That's quite the financial commitment for Willis, who has started just six games in his four-year career.

The upside with Willis appears to be there. He's athletic and pushes the ball down the field — though is that a risk the Cardinals want to take?

We've been on the record as saying no, simply due to a bridge quarterback already in place (Jacoby Brissett) and more feasible future options ahead in 2027's market.

The Cardinals have still been linked/rumored to Willis from multiple people, and when asked specifically about the Packers' pending free agent, Ossenfort offered this:

"Yeah, I don't really want to get into evaluations of specific players. Malik did a great job when he went in there for Green Bay this year. I was with Malik for a short time there in Tennessee, had a great college career coming out. So he's one of the quarterbacks that's available. We'll evaluate all our options, whether it's free agency, the draft, with that position, with every position. And we'll be prepared to do what's best for the team."

The Cardinals are expected to be in the quarterback market alongside teams such as the Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings this offseason.

Arizona has $39.1 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap.