Malik Willis has played his final snap for the Green Bay Packers, and in just a couple of weeks, he'll find a new home.
It's now clearer than ever that he will sign elsewhere. Gregg Rosenthal, the host of NFL Daily, ranked the top 101 players set to hit free agency, with Willis sitting at No. 1.
He has earned an opportunity to start somewhere, and his exit has seemed inevitable for months. It's the painful reality facing the Packers, who took a chance on Willis by sending a seventh-round pick to the Tennessee Titans in September 2024. Willis repaid that faith by completing 78.7 percent of his passes for 972 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions, for a 134.6 passer rating when filling in for Jordan Love.
NFL.com has Green Bay Packers QB Malik Willis as the No. 1 free agent in the entire league
It's surprising to see Willis that high on the list, as he's ahead of George Pickens, Tyler Linderbaum, Trey Hendrickson, and Breece Hall. But it also makes sense. Quarterback is the most important position in football, and Willis has shown, albeit in a small sample size, the potential to become a game-changing starter.
Rosenthal gave a solid justification for having Willis at the top of the list. The QB position is just so important.
"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," Rosenthal writes.
Willis didn't just help the Packers' offense survive when Love had to exit a game, they dominated.
In 2024, he led Green Bay to wins over the Indianapolis Colts and Titans in his first two starts, despite only getting traded to the Packers less than a month earlier. Willis later came off the bench to lead a last-gasp win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
This past season, he again stepped off the bench to lead a touchdown drive against the New York Giants. Willis earned a 142.8 rating against the Chicago Bears, doing enough to win the game before Romeo Doubs' botched onside kick sparked a collapse.
In his only start of the season, in Week 17 against the Baltimore Ravens, Willis completed 85.7 percent of his passes for 288 yards and one touchdown, good for a 134.6 rating, while rushing for another two touchdowns before exiting with a shoulder injury.
The Miami Dolphins, now led by Jeff Hafley, make sense as a landing spot. The Arizona Cardinals are also a team to watch, where Willis would reunite with Nathaniel Hackett and play in Mike LaFleur's offense, the brother of Matt.
Whether it's Miami, Arizona, or another team, Willis will have no shortage of suitors. There's only one guarantee: Green Bay will need a new backup QB in 2026.