Malik Willis Sweepstakes: Four Potential Landing Spots for Packers QB in Free Agency

Jordan Love’s backup looked the part of a starting quarterback on Saturday night.

Malik Willis made his sixth career start on Saturday night. / Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images

Malik Willis made a name for himself Saturday night.

Stepping in for injured Packers quarterback Jordan Love in Week 17, Willis looked the part of a starting quarterback in Green Bay’s 41–24 loss to the Ravens. Willis threw for 288 yards and a touchdown on 18-of-21 passing—good for a 134.6 rating—while rushing for 60 yards and another two scores before exiting the game with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter.

Willis has had an interesting NFL career. A third-round pick by the Titans in 2022, Willis appeared in 11 games (three starts) for Tennessee in 2022 and ‘23 but played poorly, throwing for just 350 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions.

Everything changed for Willis last August. After the Packers’ unfruitful backup quarterback battle in the offseason between Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt, Green Bay sent a seventh-round pick to Tennessee in exchange for Willis, who immediately became the backup to Love.

Willis has looked fantastic on the field whenever called upon by Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur. Entering Saturday night, Willis owned a 132.2 passer rating and had thrown for 684 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in 10 games (two starts) for the Packers.

To make things even more interesting, Willis will be a free agent this offseason. In a quarterback-needy league, it’s very possible that Willis will be the starting quarterback for a team in Week 1 next season.

Can Willis be the NFL’s next reclamation project at quarterback? And if so, where could he end up?

Arizona Cardinals

It appears Kyler Murray’s days in Phoenix are numbered. The Cardinals shut him down earlier this month due to a lingering foot injury and handed the starting quarterback role over to Jacoby Brissett. Multiple NFL insiders have reported the consensus in league circles is that it’s imminent the two parties part ways, opening up a need at quarterback.

Heading into Week 17, Arizona is 3–12 but currently slotted to select sixth in the 2026 NFL draft, which likely will be out of range to take one of the top quarterback prospects available, such as Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore. Signing Willis to a team-friendly deal is an appealing option for a franchise that has been stuck in rebuild mode for far too long.

Miami Dolphins

Tua Tagovailoa is in a similar boat as the aforementioned Murray. The Dolphins benched Tagovailoa after Week 15 for his struggles on the field, and could part ways with the quarterback this offseason—even with his $54 million in guaranteed money for 2026.

Even if the Dolphins get stuck with Tagovailoa’s contract for another year, it’s clear coach Mike McDaniel would like to move on. Although Willis has shown some spark in green and gold, his lack of starting experience should bring his free agency price tag down to a point where the Dolphins could afford it.

McDaniel calling plays for a mobile quarterback with a great arm has the potential to be a dangerous combination.

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders are expected to land either the No. 1 or No. 2 pick in the 2026 NFL draft and use it on a quarterback, whether that’s Mendoza, Moore or another prospect who rises in mock drafts over the next few months.

No matter which prospect Las Vegas selects, that quarterback could use some competition. Willis could start for the Raiders for at least one year and serve as a mentor to a rookie QB while Las Vegas rebuilds its roster.

Indianapolis Colts

Daniel Jones looked prime to be the Colts’ long-term answer at quarterback before he tore his Achilles in Week 14. That still could be the case, but Jones is also a free agent this offseason, and there’s no guarantee that Indianapolis would want to hand him a lucrative contract as he works his way back from a torn Achilles. That hasn’t worked well for NFL teams in recent years, notably the Falcons with Kirk Cousins and the Jets with Aaron Rodgers.

Willis could be an intriguing option for the Colts, who started the 2025 campaign 7–1 but were officially knocked out of the playoffs Saturday night. Philip Rivers’s comeback has been one of the best stories of the year, but Indianapolis coach Shane Steichen probably wouldn’t mind working with a quarterback with slightly more athletic ability. Someone like Willis, perhaps.

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