Two Teams Emerge as Frontrunners for Malik Willis
The Minnesota Vikings could feasibly add another quarterback this offseason, like Kyler Murray or Mac Jones, via trade, but the easiest method to find one is free agency, and Malik Willis is the top commodity on the market, mixing youth and upside. And out of the gate in the offseason, two teams not named the Vikings are reportedly emerging as frontrunners for his services: the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals, according to ESPN.
Willis’s landing spot appears to lean toward Miami or Arizona, while Minnesota sits in the background amid other QB priorities.
It’s unclear whether Willis would fit Kevin O’Connell’s offense in Minnesota, but if so, Minnesota would have to leapfrog the line in front of Arizona and Miami to entice him up north.
Miami and Arizona Have the Inside Track on Willis
Willis should earn about $15 million to $25 million per season on the open market.
The Dolphins as a Willis Contender
With the offseason officially underway, now that the Super Bowl is in the rearview, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler level-set Willis’s frontrunners.
He wrote, “Two teams I’ll be watching to pursue Malik Willis, if they can find someone to take their current quarterbacks, are the Cardinals and Dolphins. The ties are obvious: New Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley got a head start on Willis from Green Bay, and new Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur can get intimate knowledge of Willis’ game from LaFleur’s brother, Matt.”
“The Cardinals and Dolphins are saddled with huge guarantees for Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa, respectively, though. The Browns were my sleeper for Willis, but the hiring of Todd Monken might change that equation. He seems open to working with the quarterbacks on the roster, including Shedeur Sanders.”
The Dolphins seem to be on the brink of a split from Tua Tagovailoa, as the regime that installed him and cultivated him — general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel — no longer works in Miami. Sullivan and Hafley must decide to keep Tagovailoa, roll with last year’s rookie Quinn Ewers, draft another quarterback, explore trades, or consult free agency.
If they choose the latter, both men have very recent ties to Willis in Green Bay.
Cardinals, Too
Arizona drafted Kyler Murray in 2019, using the first overall pick on the passer. Seven seasons later, the Cardinals have reached the playoffs once and have hired a new coach, Mike LaFleur, to replace Jonathan Gannon, who emphatically did not work out.
The consensus suggests that Arizona may try something new at quarterback, offloading Murray via trade or outright release. Murray could even land in Minnesota if the Vikings are feeling frisky. His trade price should fetch a 2nd- or 3rd-Round pick.
And if the Cardinals divorce Murray, well, they’ll need a quarterback, as it’s unclear if any NFL team would roll with Jacoby Brissett as the long-term solution. Brissett is under contract in Arizona for one more year, but he might serve as a placeholder or patchover passer.
There’s also the LaFleur connection. Mike’s brother is Matt LaFleur, and Matt just coached Willis for two seasons in Green Bay. Presumably, the brothers talk.
What about the Vikings?
Meanwhile, the Vikings could sniff around Willis’s free agency, as well. Why wouldn’t they? Other quarterback solutions for Minnesota this offseason, like Murray, Mac Jones, Geno Smith, and Derek Carr, would require a trade. Willis is free in the sense that no trade capital is needed to get him.
Willis played magnificently for the Packers in 2025, albeit in a small sample, and some team will give him a trial to see if that performance has staying power. In theory, the Vikings could be that team.
Some are skeptical, though, that Willis would show the consistency to thrive in Minnesota’s pass-happy offense. Willis profiles more as a mobile quarterback who can throw decently, but no one is too sure if he has the gene to rear back and throw the rock 40 times per game, as the Vikings often demand under Kevin O’Connell.
SI.com‘s Dante Collinellis wrote last month about Willis to Minnesota, “Outside of Minnesota, you don’t hear much about the Vikings being in the quarterback market, but they absolutely will be. J.J. McCarthy can’t stay healthy and didn’t play particularly well when he was on the field this past season. Kevin O’Connell is heading into Year 5 without a single playoff win, and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s draft history isn’t overly impressive.”
“Both of those guys are on the clock, so if they believe Willis is a meaningful enough upgrade, don’t be surprised if they get aggressive. For Willis, O’Connell is an excellent QB developer, and he could stay in the NFC North and compete against the Packers twice a season.”
Other Suitors
If not the Dolphins, Cardinals, or Vikings, these clubs could sniff around Willis’s free agency:
- Atlanta Falcons
- Cleveland Browns
- Indianapolis Colts
- New York Jets
- Pittsburgh Steelers
Spotrac estimates Willis’s next contract to be around $35 million per season. His free agency might’ve been boosted by Sam Darnold’s recent reclamation arc and Super Bowl win.
Willis will turn 27 in May.
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