INDIANAPOLIS — Malik Willis is about to cash in. After two years of highly efficient relief appearances behind Jordan Love in Green Bay, the 26-year-old quarterback hits the open market next month as the top prize of the 2026 NFL free agency class. The whispers around the scouting combine suggest a massive payday, but the team with the most obvious connection to Willis might not have the wallet to pull it off.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport dropped a bomb on NFL Daily, projecting Willis to command anywhere from $30 million to $35 million annually. Co-host Gregg Rosenthal pushed the ceiling even higher, suggesting a desperate franchise could throw up to $42 million a year at the young signal-caller.
That is a staggering leap for a player with just six career starts. Willis flashed elite dual-threat ability and dramatic passing improvement under Matt LaFleur, but paying him top-tier starter money requires a massive leap of faith. Still, in a league starved for quarterback talent, potential pays.
The Miami Dolphins immediately jumped to the front of the rumor mill. They just overhauled their leadership, bringing in former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as head coach and former Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan as general manager. Hafley and Sullivan watched Willis rebuild his mechanics and confidence firsthand in Wisconsin.
They know the player. They know the person. The problem? They know their own bank account.
Miami currently faces a brutal salary cap crunch. Tua Tagovailoa remains under contract, carrying a guaranteed $54 million hit in 2026. Even after slashing veteran contracts like Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb to get younger and cheaper, Sullivan recognizes the financial gymnastics required to sign a premier free agent.
“Have we had conversations about Malik? I think anybody that is potentially in the quarterback market would be lying if they said they have not. The reality of the situation is we have 30-plus unrestricted and restricted free agents… and we got eight picks as we sit here today and not a ton of money to do stuff in free agency.”
— Jon-Eric Sullivan, Miami Dolphins General Manager
Sullivan’s candor highlights the harsh reality of NFL team building. If Miami wants to reunite Willis with Hafley, they have to gut the roster. Concentrating over $90 million at the quarterback position between Tagovailoa and Willis is roster suicide. The Dolphins would need to orchestrate a complex trade involving Tagovailoa—something Sullivan admitted is “on the table” this week in Indianapolis—and restructure multiple core contracts just to clear the runway.
Willis proved he can execute a modern NFL offense. He completed nearly 79% of his passes with zero interceptions over his 11 appearances for the Packers. The talent is undeniable. You can almost feel the tension building around the league as front offices debate whether his limited, yet spectacular tape justifies a franchise-altering contract.
If the Dolphins want to reclaim their spot as AFC heavyweights by 2027, locking down a 26-year-old dual-threat quarterback might be the exact aggressive move Sullivan needs to establish his culture. But if the bidding war breaches that $40 million mark, Miami might be forced to watch their preferred target sign elsewhere.
