Malik Willis was presented a list of quarterback-needy teams recently.
Miami. Arizona. Pittsburgh. Cleveland. The New York Jets.
All of those teams — and many more — could be suitors for the Green Bay Packers’ terrific No. 2 quarterback when free agency opens on March 11.
“I guess we’ll figure it out when it’s all over,” Willis said. “It’s a continuous journey, one day at a time.”
It’s been a remarkable journey for Willis, who jumpstarted his career in Green Bay after being traded from Tennessee for a seventh round draft pick in Aug, 2024.
Willis arrived with his career on life support. He’ll leave in March as one of the top three quarterbacks in free agency, along with Daniel Jones of Indianapolis and Aaron Rodgers of Pittsburgh.
Willis is expected to land a deal in the $25-$30 million per year range.
“He is unflappable,” Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said of Willis. “He is as calm as they come and just is a resilient dude. I can’t say enough great things about Malik.”
No one was saying those things when Willis arrived.
Willis, a third round pick out of Liberty in 2022, wasn’t a lock to make Tennessee’s roster in the summer of 2024. In 11 career games with the Titans, Willis was 35-of-66 for 350 yards with no touchdowns, three interceptions and a dreadful 49.4 passer rating.
Few would have predicted Willis would blossom into one of the NFL’s top backup quarterbacks the last two years, but that’s exactly what happened.
Just 20 days after arriving in Green Bay, Willis started for an injured Jordan Love and shined, completing 12-of-14 passes for 122 yards in a 16-10 win over Indianapolis.
In a 30-14 rout of Tennessee the following week, Willis completed 13-of-19 passes for 202 yards with one touchdown pass and no interceptions. Willis also ran for a team-high 73 yards and a TD that day and finished with a passer rating of 120.9 against the Titans.
“I don’t think when you bring a player in right at the cut down day … you expect him to start in a couple weeks and do what he did,” Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst said of Willis. “So just, you know, really appreciative of his professionalism, and you know, just how prepared he was.”
Willis then replaced an injured Love during the Packers’ Week 8 game at Jacksonville early in the third quarter with Green Bay leading, 13-10. Willis completed 4-of-5 passes for 56 yards, ran for 23 yards and hit Jayden Reed with a 51-yard completion late in the game to lift Green Bay to a 30-27 win.
Willis finished the 2024 campaign completing 40-of-54 passes (74.1%) with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Willis threw for 550 yards, ran for 138 yards and posted with a terrific passer rating of 124.8.
More importantly, though, Willis led Green Bay to three wins that season. Without Willis, it’s likely the seventh-seeded Packers would have missed the playoffs altogether.
Amazingly, Willis was even better in 2025.
Willis completed 30-of-35 passes (85.7%) for 422 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also averaged 5.6 yards on his 22 rushes, had two rushing TDs and finished with a 145.5 passer rating.
Willis was sensational in a Week 17 loss to Baltimore, completing 18-of-21 passes for 288 yards, a 39-yard touchdown to wideout Christian Watson and a passer rating of 134.6. Willis was just as dangerous with his legs, rushing for 60 yards on nine carries (6.7) and two touchdowns.
“I think that he’s just a good quarterback,” Green Bay wideout Christian Watson said. “He approaches every single day like he’s the starter. I think that’s kinda just his mentality and when he gets his opportunity, it definitely shows.”
Now, Willis will almost certainly be a starter in 2026.
There are several quarterback-needy teams and the 2026 NFL Draft isn’t a strong one for QBs.
Willis, meanwhile, is just 26, his passing skills have improved immensely, and his 4.37 speed in the 40-yard dash makes him one of the league’s top dual threat quarterbacks.
“Malik’s a dog,” Green Bay No. 2 running back Emanuel Wilson said. “He’s a hell of a player and I’m really proud of him how he keeps taking advantage of his opportunities.”
When asked last week if he’s one of the 32 best quarterbacks in the league, the modest Willis said: “Everybody’s got their own opinion, but I think so. It don’t mean much what I think, though. We’ll see what happens in free agency.”
Chances are whatever happens will make Willis a starting quarterback — and a very wealthy man.