The market for Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis is expected to be around the $5 million per year to $8 million per year range, according to a recent report. While that may seem steep for a backup,
that’s about the going rate for a stable veteran passer.
Willis has led the Packers to a 2-0 record in place of starter Jordan Love since 2024. In eight games over two seasons, Willis has completed 42 of 56 passes (75 percent) for four touchdowns, no interceptions and a passer rating of 129.8. On top of that, he’s also added 154 yards on 21 carries (7.3 yards per attempt) and a score.
The Packers won’t have much cap space in 2026, when Willis is set to become a free agent. Releasing center Elgton Jenkins and extending linebacker Quay Walker will get the team functionally to $0 in effective cap space. This means that the team will probably need to extend defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt to drop down the cap charge of his $15 million fifth-year option and make room for other moves next spring, like a potential Tucker Kraft extension, Sean Rhyan re-signing or Willis re-signing.
The alternative to not signing Willis, though, means that Green Bay will need to look to draft their next QB2 in April, even though the team will already be down their first-round pick from the Micah Parsons trade. Based on the consensus draft board, here is what the non-first-round market looks like for senior quarterbacks this year:
2026 NFL Draft Quarterback Prospects
- #86: Cade Klubnik, Clemson
- #104: Carson Beck, Miami
- #128: Drew Allar, Penn State
- #167: Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
- #228: Miller Moss, Louisville
- #231: Taylen Green, Arkansas
We’re at the point in time where hardly any underclassmen ever declare at the quarterback position anymore, unless they’re going to be first-round picks. The money in college football has just gotten too high for Day 2 or even Day 3 quarterbacks to turn down the extra year of eligibility and earning potential, considering how few of them make it long-term in the league. So this is really going to be the group of players that the Packers will be debating about adding in the 2026 draft class.
Cade Klubnik, Carson Beck and Drew Allar are supposed to come off the board around the time Green Bay will be making their third- and fourth-round picks. Allar, notably, is coming off a broken ankle that ended his college career back in October. After that trio, there’s only one senior quarterback expected to be drafted in the next 100 selections, Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson, who is probably the last lock to be picked in the class.
It is not a deep quarterback class. For perspective, Louisville’s Miller Moss, who was benched last year at USC, could very well be benched down the stretch for the Cardinals after throwing for just two touchdowns and three interceptions in the team’s last four games.
–
Out of these alternatives, what should the Packers do at the backup quarterback spot this offseason? Should they just bite the bullet and re-sign Willis at $5 million to $8 million per? Should they look to the draft? If you want them to go into the draft looking for a quarterback, which one are you circling?
