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EspañolMalik Willis has started just five games across his four-year NFL career to date, but he is still expected to be the most coveted free agent quarterback during the 2026 NFL offseason.
Willis, 26, is coming off a two-year stint with the Green Bay Packers during which he impressed across limited action in relief of Jordan Love. The Liberty product led the Packers to a 2-1 record across three starts while completing a whopping 78.7% of his passes for 972 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions.
Willis also often showcased his elite-level mobility, navigating the pocket and displaying strong scrambling skills, which helped him gain 261 yards and three touchdowns on 42 carries.
Willis' success came in a small sample size, but it aligned with the potential many NFL talent evaluators saw in him ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft. Willis drew first-round buzz ahead of that event before ultimately being selected in the third round by the Tennessee Titans.
With that in mind, it seems likely one of the NFL's quarterback-needy teams will give Willis a chance to win their starting job. After all, recent veteran, free-agent signees like Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold have turned into quality starters, so why can't Willis be next?
Here's a look at some of Willis' best potential fits as 2026 NFL free agency draws nearer.
Malik Willis best fits
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins seem ready to move on from Tua Tagovailoa after benching him for the final three games of the 2025 NFL season. Willis could represent a nice pivot, as the 26-year-old has upside and is familiar with Miami's new brain trust of coach Jeff Hafley and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan from his two seasons in Green Bay.
While Willis profiles as a good fit for the Dolphins, they would have to get creative to acquire him. Releasing Tagovailoa would cost the team at least $11.1 million in cap space, per Spotrac.com; Miami currently has under $1 million in available cap space, according to OverTheCap.com.
Still, a creatively structured deal could allow Willis to join the team on a backloaded contract while giving the Dolphins a young, athletic replacement for Tagovailoa.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals and Kyler Murray appear to be heading for a divorce during the 2026 offseason. Arizona could choose to roll with Jacoby Brissett as a bridge starter but Mike LaFleur's squad will also likely bring in a young quarterback to compete with the 33-year-old journeyman.
Willis – who spent the last two seasons playing for Matt LaFleur, Mike's brother, in Green Bay – would bring some of the same mobility that made Murray a threat during his best seasons with the Cardinals. Arizona is among the best-situated quarterback-needy teams to win a bidding war for Willis' services, as the team currently has $31.7 million in available cap space.
Cleveland Browns
Cleveland has increasingly been connected to Willis, with Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot noting the 26-year-old is "on the Browns' radar" ahead of free agency.
The fit is sensible. Willis' combination of mobility and accuracy matches the profile of Lamar Jackson, with whom new Browns coach Todd Monken found great success in Baltimore.
The issue is that, like the Dolphins, the Browns have just under $1 million in cap space available for the 2026 NFL season. Cleveland has a path to create space; however, Deshaun Watson's astronomical $80.7 million cap hit could necessitate either seeking out a cheaper quarterback option or waiting until 2027 – when Watson's deal will largely be off the books – to address the position.
New York Jets
The Jets are in the market for a long-term starting quarterback but aren't guaranteed to land one in the 2026 NFL Draft, which is considered weak at the position. That could lead Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey to target another younger veteran with upside, much like they did with Justin Fields last offseason.
Like Fields, Willis has great mobility. Unlike Fields, Willis has shown tremendous accuracy in recent seasons. It's easy to imagine the Jets falling in love with the idea of signing Willis to a mid-tier quarterback contract while using the team's plethora of early-round draft capital to improve the rest of the roster.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Malik Willis landing spots: 4 best fits for free agent QB