Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Malik Willis may have played himself into a starting job next season. Although in a losing effort, he looked incredible against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 17. The former third-round pick out of Liberty went 18 for 21, threw for 288 yards, ran for another 60, and had three total touchdowns. The week prior, he went 9 of 11 for 121 and a touchdown after filling in for Jordan Love (concussion).
Willis will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and there should be at least a handful of organizations looking to bring him in to compete for the starting job. Here are three of the teams that Willis may land with in 2026.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been operating on a year-to-year basis at QB for the last three seasons, and next year could mark the fourth. Aaron Rodgers is not getting any younger, and the future Hall of Famer may finally decide to call it quits at the conclusion of this year.
The upcoming draft class is considered weaker at the quarterback position, and the Steelers are not in a position to grab Fernando Mendoza or Dante Moore. With that in mind, Willis is a prime candidate to be signed by Pittsburgh to compete with Mason Rudolph and perhaps Will Howard for the starting job.
After starting 8-2 and being thought of by many as the best team in the NFL, the Indianapolis Colts have plummeted back down to earth. They’ve lost seven straight contests to finish the 2025 season, and many of their issues were a result of subpar QB play.
Indianapolis had already lost two in a row when Daniel Jones went down with a torn right Achilles against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 14. Once that injury occurred, whatever hope the Colts still had went out the window. In fact, the team was so desperate that they called 44-year-old Philips Rivers, who had been out of the league for five years, and started him for three games!
Rivers recently confirmed that he is finished playing for good, and with no other clear options at QB, Indianapolis could be another landing spot for Willis. Jones may not be the same level of athlete once he returns, especially since he tore his ACL on that same leg in 2023. While Riley Leonard did play better in Week 18, he still is the man who could not beat out a grandfather who was on the couch for five years. Anthony Richardson is still in the building, but the Colts may be done with him altogether.
With a great running back, solid receivers, and an innovative head coach in Shane Steichen, this could be the perfect situation for Willis.
The Minnesota Vikings have arguably a top-five left tackle when healthy in Christian Darrisaw and, of course, a top-three receiver in Justin Jefferson. Having both of those positions taken care of is a QB’s dream, and that dream scenario could become a reality for Willis next year. Jefferson’s ability to get behind the defense, combined with Willis’ arm talent, could make for an interesting combination.
J.J. McCarthy has been disappointing to start his career, and long gone are the days when franchises give quarterbacks three years before making a change. That does not necessarily mean that Minnesota will look to move McCarthy, but they may bring in someone to challenge him for the starting job. Right now, Willis looks more promising than McCarthy, so the current Packers backup could very well end up with the division foe in 2026.
Whether it is the draft or free agency, there should be plenty of quarterback movement this coming NFL offseason. With such a small sample size, there is still reason to question if Willis is ready to be a starter in the league, but some teams may have seen enough. Sometimes, all it takes is one big game for an organization to be sold on a player (ask Matt Flynn).
Expect Willis to land with a team where he is competing for a starting job, and from there, who knows what could happen. The arm talent and athleticism are there, so a player like him could thrive in the right situation.
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