Will Malik Willis be a starting quarterback in 2026?
Albeit in short stints, Malik Willis showed vast improvement and starting quarterback qualities during his two-year stint with the Green Bay Packers.
In a league desperate for quality quarterback play, Willis’ handful of appearances with the Packers have many teams yearning for his services — even after a tumultuous time with the Tennessee Titans prior to arriving in Green Bay in 2024.
According to ESPN’s Aaron Schatz, Willis could find just what he’s looking for, a guaranteed starting role and a pretty penny added to his bank account — with the quarterback-starved New York Jets.
The Jets’ failed experiment with Justin Fields coupled with the lack of projected first-round worthy quarterbacks in the upcoming NFL Draft, Willis and the Jets could be a match made in heaven.
“Yes, it was a small sample with just one start and four total games played, but Willis had a phenomenal 93.1 QBR for the Packers in 2025,” Schatz wrote. “And he had an impressive 77.3 QBR in two starts the season before — Willis is going to sign somewhere to start, and the Jets need a new quarterback. Justin Fields didn’t work out, and Fernando Mendoza seems to be the only QB prospect worthy of the first-round pick in April. It’s unlikely Mendoza will fall past Las Vegas at No. 1.”
Willis has had quite the first four years in the NFL. After being selected by the Tennessee Titans in the third-round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Willis struggled to find the field during his rookie campaign — only finding the field in blowout situations or when veteran starter, Ryan Tannehill struggled late in games.
The former SMU star made his first career professional start in Week 8 of his rookie season, but struggled mightily in an overtime loss against the Kansas City Chiefs. The rookie signal caller completed just five of his 16 pass attempts for 80 yards while adding 40 yards on the ground.
Tannehill resumed his starting role until Week 16 when he went down with an ankle injury, which thrust Willis back under center. Willis struggled yet again, throwing for just 99 yards and two interceptions — but he did manage to secure his first NFL touchdown, albeit a rushing effort.
Willis didn’t find the field in 2023 and was traded to the Green Bay Packers ahead of the 2024 NFL season in exchange for a seventh-round pick. It didn’t take long for Willis to find the field during his first season with his new team as Jordan Love suffered an MCL injury during the Packers Week 1 contest. Willis would get the start in Week 2 and enjoyed the best outing of his young career, completing 12 of his 14 pass attempts for 122 yards, and his first career passing touchdown.
In Week 3, Willis started once again in place of the injured Love, this time, against his former team, the Titans. Willis would enact revenge on the team who traded him, completing 13 of 19 passes for a career-high 202 yards and a touchdown and added 73 yards and another score on the ground in a 30-14 drubbing of his former club.
Love would return from injury the following week and Willis only threw another handful of passes during the season, but did manage to lead the Packers on a game-winning drive against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8 after Love exited the contest with a groin injury.
This past season, Willis didn’t find much playing time until a concussion forced Love out of the Packers’ Week 16 contest against NFC North rivals, Chicago Bears. Willis played well once again, completing nine of his 11 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown, albeit in an overtime loss in the ‘Windy City.’
While his time in Tennessee wasn’t what he or the Titans hoped it would be, Willis’ development and starting experience in Green Bay has the fifth-year signal caller primed for a starting job and a big money deal to go along with it.
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