Green Bay Packers fans knew that backup quarterback Malik Willis would be a sought commodity in free agency. Did they know he’d be one of the hottest names on the market?
Before the legal tampering period begins March 9, Willis appears to be drawing serious interest, and you don’t have to look far down lists of “top free agents” to see his name. Some examples:
NFL.com ranks Malik Willis as the No. 1 offseason free agent
Gregg Rosenthal put Willis at the top of his free-agent rankings.
“I see him as the most dynamic quarterback in football as a runner, and his tape in Green Bay showed incredible growth as a passer over his two years with Matt LaFleur,” Rosenthal wrote. “Despite his limited sample size, Willis jumped to the top spot of this ranking based on the same logic that applies to the NFL draft: If a potential franchise quarterback is good enough to be ranked in the top five of a list like this, then he should be placed first, by virtue of the position. The ceiling is the roof.”
Other Packers on the list? Tackle Rasheed Walker at No. 22, wide receiver Romeo Doubs at No. 28, linebacker Quay Walker at No. 44, defensive end Kingsley Enagbare at No. 76, offensive lineman Sean Rhyan at No. 91 and cornerback Trevon Diggs at No. 93.
Three University of Wisconsin alumni – offensive lineman David Edwards, offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler and linebacker Leo Chenal make the list – as does Aaron Rodgers (No. 63) as a potential “high-octane backup.”
Where else is Malik Willis ranked among NFL free agents?
At Yahoo! Sports, he’s ranked No. 7 by Frank Schwab, and the second quarterback behind Daniel Jones.
The Athletic says No. 9, again the second quarterback behind Jones.
“Because the options are thin at this position, Willis should get a chance to start and exceed $20 million APY on his deal,” Daniel Popper wrote. “He presents this most obvious opportunity for contract upside.”
Fox Sports has Willis at No. 9, predicted as signing with the Miami Dolphins.
“Willis, 26, may be the hardest free agent to ballpark in terms of how much money he’ll get,” Greg Auman wrote. “There’s an absolute lack of quality quarterbacks available, combined with a weak QB draft class, so teams without an obvious starter may overpay here. Willis has only six career starts, but his work in Green Bay has been promising — six touchdowns, zero interceptions over the last two years, with a 79% completion percentage. Could he be a match for former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, seeking a reasonably priced answer he can build around in Miami? You’ll see him projected for a Justin Fields-type deal, like two years and $40 million.”
ESPN thinks No. 17, behind both Rasheed Walker and Quay Walker on the depth chart. Matt Bowen also sees a natural fit with the Dolphins.
“With new leadership in Miami, the club could move on from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa,” Bowen wrote. “New coach Jeff Hafley and new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan know Willis well from their shared time in Green Bay, and Willis could slot in as the new starter under coordinator Bobby Slowik. Let’s envision a scheme built around motion/movement, with play-action elements woven in; that would set up Willis well as a thrower, and the QB run game would generate conflict for opposing defenses. Willis’ development in Green Bay creates upside for the Dolphins.
The Ringer has Willis much lower, at No. 23.
“Willis is exactly the kind of quarterback teams should want to sign this offseason if they’re looking for a quality backup who could compete for a starting job,” Austin Gayle wrote. “It looks like the game has slowed down for him in a big way, and now we’re seeing the athletic ability and big arm talent that had people excited about him as a draft prospect. He’s valuable on designed quarterback runs, and he uses his feet to turn sacks into scrambles for positive yardage. Willis also throws well on the run because he has an absolute cannon of an arm that allows him to throw from awkward angles and off platform. He can put the ball wherever he wants with the flick of his wrist, and he’s shown special deep-ball accuracy in his limited action this season. The question about him as he hits free agency will be the small sample size of his quality starts in Green Bay.”
Is Malik Willis destined for the Miami Dolphins? Potential landing spots
It’s not hard to make the connection between Sullivan and Hafley, both of whom worked for the Packers last year. Add Christian D’Andrea of For the Win to the list of those seeing the fit.
“New head coach Jeff Hafley spent the last two seasons butting up against Willis as defensive coordinator of the Packers,” D’Andrea said. “The question is whether he’ll have the resources to land the rising backup quarterback in free agency and if the infrastructure will be in place to help the former third round pick thrive in a new environment. 2026 looks like a tear-down year in Miami; if Willis can come in and show signs of life, he could stand as a potential franchise quarterback even in a four-win campaign.”
CBS Sports also saw the promise of the marriage in their offseason matchmaker from January.
There are other potential landing spots.
NFL Insider Matt Lombardo expects the New York Jets to be big players for Willis. Pittsburgh, Arizona and Las Vegas are all needy, though the Raiders have the top pick in the upcoming NFL draft and, therefore, the right of first refusal on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
How much money, what contract will Malik Willis get in free agency?
NFL insider Jordan Schultz posted Feb. 25 that he believes Willis will command at least $30 million per year in free agency, which is a massive price to pay for a largely unproven quarterback.
Rosenthal and NFL insider Ian Rapoport even discussed a deal as strong as $35-40 million.
Jordan Love’s cap hit in 2026, for reference, is $36 million. Sam Darnold, the biggest free-agent quarterback signing of last season, penned a three-year, $100.5 million deal that obviously paid off when Seattle won the Super Bowl.
Malik Willis stats with Packers
Willis has started six NFL games, including three over the past two years with the Packers. He completed an eye-popping 70 of 89 (78.7%) pass attempts in Green Bay, with six touchdowns and zero interceptions, and he ran for 261 yards and three more scores.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Is Malik Willis really the No. 1 player in NFL free agency?
Reporting by JR Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
