The Green Bay Packers could lose Malik Willis to a hated rival this offseason.
The Green Bay Packers have had the luxury of Malik Willis being their backup quarterback over the last two years. Once again this season, Willis has shown the potential of being a starting NFL quarterback.
Willis stepped into the Packers' matchup against the Chicago Bears a couple of weeks back after Jordan Love went down with a concussion. In that game, he completed nine of his 11 passes for 121 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions, while also running 10 times for 44 yards.
Last week, Green Bay gave Willis the start against the Baltimore Ravens. That game went perfectly for Willis, although he did get hurt late in the game.
Against the Ravens, Willis threw for 288 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions. He completed 18 of his 21 pass attempts and also picked up 60 yards and two touchdowns on nine rushing attempts.
Following those two performances, there are many who believe that Willis will be a hot topic in NFL free agency. Any team needing a quarterback should consider pursuing him.
Keeping that in mind, there is one nightmare scenario that would see Willis landing with a hated rival.
Pro Football Network's Jacob Westendorf has suggested the Minnesota Vikings as a landing spot for Willis. The Vikings could look to bring in competition for J.J. McCarthy and Willis would be a perfect target to do just that.
"On the field, there are plenty of questions as well. Minnesota could be in the market for a veteran stopgap to help push McCarthy, and Willis is someone who could fit the bill," Westendorf wrote.
"His athleticism fits well in Kevin O’Connell’s offense, and he’s proven to be more than a capable passer in Green Bay over the last two seasons."
Seeing Willis leave Green Bay to sign with Minnesota would be a tough pill for fans to swallow. However, the reality of the situation is that the Packers are likely to lose him.
That being said, Willis has been very clear about his love for Green Bay. Perhaps the two sides could work out a surprising deal in free agency to keep him with the Packers. Fans would be completely onboard with that being the outcome of the situation this offseason.
Only time will tell, but the Vikings are certainly a team to keep an eye on when it comes to Willis in free agency.