Malik Willis turned two seasons as a backup for the Green Bay Packers into a major opportunity this winter in free agency. While his opportunities behind Jordan Love remained limited, Willis answered the bell whenever called upon. The former Titans bust looked like an electric playmaker. Now an unrestricted free agent, he’ll hit the market among the top targets for QB-needy teams ahead of next season.
Just what kind of contract could Willis get? ESPN’s Ben Solak puts his value at what would be over an 18X raise over his 2025 paycheck.
Relief work behind Love has Willis in line for plump next paycheck
Willis’ passing stats in Green Bay: 70-89, 972 yards, 6 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 134.6 passer rating, 10.9 yards per attempt, 2-1 QB record. He also amassed 261 rushing yards and three scores on over six yards per carry. Not bad for a backup.
In games against the Bears and Ravens last year with Love out hurt, Willis turned in a pair of A-plus performances the rest of the team couldn’t turn into wins.
To project his next contract, Solak sought out precedents that could shed light on expected market value. Two examples rose to the top: Jimmy Garoppolo, early in his career with the 49ers, and, more relevant to Willis’ case, Brock Osweiler for the Broncos and Texans.
“Osweiler parlayed his seven starts (5-2, pretty average stats) into a four-year, $72 million deal with the Texans in 2016 — a substantial contract at the time,” Solak writes. “Osweiler got $18 million per year, which was about 8.6% of the 2016 salary cap. A decade later, with a salary cap projection just over $300 million, a similar deal would cost $26 million per year. This feels like the correct value for Willis.”
Last season, the Packers backup made $1.42 million including the prorated portion of his initial signing bonus. That accounted for 0.51% of the league cap. That’s according to Spotrac, which estimates Willis’ value at two years, $71 million.
Based on recent signings for quarterbacks in similar circumstances, Solak can’t go quite that high.
“[Justin] Fields made $20 million per year on his two-year contract with the Jets, and [Baker] Mayfield is making $33 million per year in Tampa Bay. That $13 million difference between the two feels like the sweet spot for Willis.”
Either way, that is one gargantuan upgrade for a player many thought was on his way out of the league after his disastrous stint in Tennessee.
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