Malik Willis Just Earned Himself A Lot Of Money With His Performance Against the Ravens

One of the lone bright spots for the Green Bay Packers in an otherwise embarrassing lashing at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens was quarterback Malik Willis. With limited reps throughout the week due to an illness and shoulder injury, Willis put on a clinic. And on the big  stage on Saturday night, after two strong starts last year, Willis earned himself a lot of money this coming offseason.

In an ideal world, the Packers would be able to hang on to Willis as the backup quarterback for the foreseeable future. However, he has so thoroughly outplayed whatever expectations people had for him that he has elevated himself to a spot where someone will almost certainly bring him in as a starting quarterback in 2026.

So, what could that all look like?

One factor heavily in Willis' favor is that the 2026 quarterback draft class doesn't appear to be overly strong. Indiana's Fernando Mendoza is leading the charge, while South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers plans to stay in college. Oregon's Dante Moore still has yet to make a decision.

It could turn out to be a really good group. But, heading into the draft, this will be viewed as a a far cry from the class that featured Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye being taken first, second, and third, respectively, just two years ago.

Thus, teams needing a quarterback could opt to look towards the free-agency class, where Willis is a standout.

Willis' sample size is still relatively small, but there's no doubting the brilliance he's displayed every time his number has been called. Against the Ravens, Willis gutted things out while clearly battling the shoulder injury. Despite the game being a losing effort for the Packers, Willis went 18 for 21 for 288 yards, one passing touchdown, and two rushing touchdowns, with 60 yards rushing to boot.

The Packers thrust Willis into action two weeks ago for a concussed Jordan Love, and he put the Packers in a great spot to win not just the game but potentially the division. Unfortunately, others let him and Green Bay down.

Teams needing a quarterback may waffle, weighing the benefits of going younger via the draft against what Matt LaFleur has brought out in Willis during his two years in Green Bay.

Nobody is going to offer a four- or five-year deal to Willis. At least, it would be stunning if they did. It'd be equally surprising to see an annual value that exceeds anything of significance towards a team's salary cap. A good point of reference is the deal the New York Jets gave Justin Fields last offseason.

New York dished out a two-year, $40 million deal to Fields with $15 million in guarantees. Has it worked out? Absolutely not. Are we comparing the play of Fields to that of Willis for purposes of this exercise? No.

Perhaps Willis gets a tad more because there's more unknown with him, but the number might be in that ballpark.

Willis has excelled in his spot starts with Green Bay, something Fields struggled with in Chicago and his brief pit stop in Pittsburgh. The Jets didn't sign Fields to be a savior. They signed him as a bridge quarterback. Whoever signs Willis would be hoping to get the quarterback of the future, but protecting themselves in case it doesn't work out by negotiating a shorter deal. That $20 million over a two-year mark could be the sweet spot. However, Willis might be able to command closer to $25 million.

One thing is certain: Willis has capitalized and elevated his prospects for the offseason. He has some Packers fans urging Green Bay to get rid of Love and roll with Willis moving forward!

Head coach Matt LaFleur was asked about just that on Sunday and quickly

The fact that LaFleur was even asked about it speaks volumes about Willis’ play. Keep in mind, it's not as though Love was or is struggling. Before his concussion against Chicago and entering the game against the Denver Broncos the week prior, Love had the fourth-best odds to win the MVP.

Malik Willis has earned the right to be The Guy somewhere. That doesn't mean it will work out, but his play at least merits a shot. Having him continue as the backup in Green Bay isn't fair to a player who will almost certainly get more tempting offers this offseason. His standout performance against Baltimore all but guarantees it.