Just a week after stepping in for an injured Jordan Love against the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis took on the spotlight again. Making his first start of the year on Saturday night against the Baltimore Ravens, the former Liberty star played well.
He played so well, early on, that former NFL quarterback and two-time Super Bowl champion Phil Simms took the time to chime in via social media. Into the third quarter against the Ravens, Simms said something that Packers fans are going to have to come to grips with:
"Malik Willis should be a starter next yr.. I've seen enough. Have you ??"
At this point, Willis only had one passing and one rushing touchdown on the night. He had yet to finish his stellar night, but Simms wasn't wrong.
The Packers won't be able to afford Malik Willis as a backup in 2026
The 2022 third-round pick was, of course, dealt to the Packers for just a seventh-rounder last year after the Tennessee Titans gave up far too soon. All Willis has done since coming to Green Bay is finally develop into a serviceable NFL quarterback, thanks to Matt LaFleur.
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What Willis has shown, albeit in limited capacity, is his ability to be even more than just serviceable. Simms is right -- he deserves a shot to start next year. And, he just might get it.
Think about a deal along the lines of what Justin Fields got when he became a free agent for the first time. Willis very well could end up getting a 1-year deal with incentives. What might be the bigger gut punch, though, is where Willis goes.
The Minnesota Vikings have quite an intriguing quarterback situation, as NFC North fans know all too well. The Vikings are trying to figure out if J.J. McCarthy is, indeed, the future. But, he may need some competition to push him in the right direction.
Some Vikings fans will tell you they'd like Minnesota to go after someone such as Mac Jones, or even Daniel Jones (who was already once on their roster). But now, Willis is thrusting himself into that conversation as well.
Willis is 100 percent playing his way into a pay day this offseason. It won't be to come in and start, right away, but he will certainly find himself a job and, at the very least, a competition with someone like McCarthy.
If nothing else, Willis probably won't be back in Green Bay, and the Packers will have to find themselves additional Jordan Love insurance.