Former Green Bay Packers' backup quarterback Kurt Benkert reveals surprising insights into Malik Willis's arm talent and athleticism, suggesting a bright future and significant payday await the rising quarterback.
Malik Willis has made a name for himself with the Green Bay Packers, but he's working on more than just his reputation in the NFL.
With every great performance in relief of Jordan Love, Willis is also essentially guaranteeing himself a massive payday in free agency in this coming offseason.
The Packers are 0-2 in the two games Willis has contributed to this season, but he's been far from the reason that they've lost. He came in against the Chicago Bears when Jordan Love went down with a concussion and completed 9-of-11 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown while rushing 10 times for 44 yards.
The very next week, he started against the Baltimore Ravens because Love had not cleared concussion protocol, and he looked like a potential superstar quarterback in the making. Willis completed 18-of-21 passes for 288 yards and a touchdown while also adding 60 yards and two touchdowns as a rusher.
He's always been known as a good athlete, but against the Ravens, Willis showed off just how much he's improved as a passer since the Packers traded the Tennessee Titans a seventh-round pick for him in August of 2024.
In particular, his touchdown pass to a streaking Christian Watson showed off strong processing ability as well as elite arm talent.
Former Packers’ backup quarterback Kurt Benkert broke it down in a film review and came away extremely impressed by Willis.
"Malik Willis has all the arm talent in the world to go with his top-level athletic ability," Benkert said. "The Packers have a guy at backup, and no disrespect to Jordan Love because [he's] also playing incredible football, but Malik Willis...he's here. He's going to make himself some money one way or another this year."
Willis playing well has been great for Green Bay because it's allowed the Packers to remain competitive when they've had to go to the bench. Last season, with Love battling injuries, Willis led the Pack to two wins as a starter and played a massive role in another win when he had to come in mid-game.
The unfortunate thing for Green Bay is that Willis' star rising means that his time with the Packers will likely be coming to an end. He's going to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and there's no world in which the Packers can pay him the kind of money that he deserves while also rostering him as a backup behind Love.
"I think Jordan Love is playing some pretty high-level football, and it's great that we feel the same about Malik in his ability to go in there," head coach Matt LaFleur said this week as he sought to get ahead of any "quarterback controversy" talk. "I thought he's had two really back-to-back outstanding performances. So we're in a good spot with that position, certainly have a lot of confidence in both of those guys, but it's clear that Jordan is our franchise quarterback, and when he is healthy, he's going to be our starter. So, just want to squash all that."
The Packers have their franchise quarterback in Love. Another team out there will be hoping to get their franchise quarterback this offseason in Willis.
Along with that label will come millions upon millions of dollars for the former third-round pick out of Liberty.