Malik Willis cashes in big with the Miami Dolphins, which is a testament to his time with the Green Bay Packers.
Malik Willis has reportedly found a new home. The deal is not official yet, but it's as good as done. He's parlayed his time with the Green Bay Packers into a massive free agency deal with the Miami Dolphins.
Willis is set to get a three-year, $67.5 million contract as a free agent. According to Ian Rapaport of NFL.com, $45 million of that is going to be guaranteed.
What an incredible moment this is for Willis, who was castoff by the Tennessee Titans to Green Bay in return for a seventh-round draft pick.
He's gone from a player many considered an NFL bust to a legitimate NFL starting quarterback worth over $20 million a year.
Whether or not he can actually live up to that deal is another story -- because his sample size as a starting quarterback is undoubtedly small -- but Willis owes head coach Matt LaFleur and the Packers organization a debt of gratitude for the trust they showed in him as a backup.
He also owes them for his development, because he really did seem like a bust before he was traded to the Packers and slowly but surely became arguably the top backup quarterback in the NFL.
Willis undoubtedly knows the role the Packers played in getting him to this point, and he made his appreciation known in a post on X.
"Much love and respect to Packer Nation supporting us and me the past 2 years! It has been awesome upholding the standard for the green and gold," he wrote. "It has been more than a blessing and I will never forget my time here and the relationships I made!"
Willis was a third-round pick of the Titans in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Liberty. The Titans selected him because of his immense arm talent and athletic profile, but he was a raw prospect who definitely needed some seasoning and guidance.
The Titans never gave that to him, as they took quarterback Will Levis in the very next draft to replace Willis on the "franchise quarterback" heirarcy (Levis didn't work out for them, either).
The Packers brought Willis in while facing a desperate need at backup quarterback ahead of the 2024 season, and he took advantage of every opportunity he got.
He started three games over the past two seasons and came away with a 2-1 record. One of those wins came on the road against his former team.
In all, Willis, 26, appeared in 11 games over two seasons. He completed 78.7% of his passes for 972 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions. He also rushed 42 times for 261 yards and three rushing touchdowns.
He has an elite blend of athleticism and arm strength, and his time in Green Bay took him from being a one-read quarterback to someone who can command a scheme.
Will it translate to Miami? Only time will tell, but Willis will undoubtedly be a player Packers fans will be rooting for to succeed.
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