Steelers Get Malik Willis Price Tag, and It's Outrageous

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have all options on the table when it comes to the quarterback position. Opinions vary regarding who will be the starter when the 2026 season begins, but the one thing everyone agrees is that there is no clear answer at this point.

One of the potential options for the Steelers is free agent quarterback Malik Willis. The former Green Bay Packers backup is the undisputed top option available in a very thin market and he wants to be paid accordingly.

A new report from NFL insider Jordan Schultz revealed the asking price for the 26-year-old signal-caller, and it's a ridiculous ask. Willis is seeking an average annual salary of at least $30 million, with Schultz going so far as to call it a "foregone conclusion," on his X account.

Should Steelers Pursue Willis?

Before the latest update, the Steelers would have been fools not to go after Willis. Even as certainty about Aaron Rodgers' return increases, the team is still without a starting quarterback and has just two under contract for the 2026 season. There's a reason why the team has been linked or connected to nearly every top quarterback option as the new league year steadily approaches.

But with this latest update, the Steelers have to be out on Willis. Sure, he's an exciting player and there is this unknown factor of it all, but for that asking price, it's simply not worth the risk. The Steelers have ample salary cap space with free agency right around the corner, and to blow that all on a stopgap quarterback with just six career starts is a boneheaded move above all boneheaded decisions.

Dec 27, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis (2) during warmups prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

What Does This Mean for Steelers?

This price for Willis effectively kicks the Steelers out of the free agent market for quarterbacks this year. With this update, it also increases the likelihood of another possibility that already feels like a foregone conclusion in PIttsburgh.

Aaron Rodgers is coming back to the Steelers.

It also improves the chances for second-year quarterback Will Howard to take over the starting role, and at the least, stand out as the frontrunner to be second on the depth chart.

What it means more than anything, is that the Steelers are heading down a specific direction for their quarterback room in 2026. Barring the drafting of a QB in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft, the quarterback room in Pittsburgh is going to look very, very similar to last year's.

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