Sam Darnold’s success the last two years — especially his Super Bowl season in Seattle — has been a gift to all quarterbacks who struggled and were written off early in their careers.
Well, not all — apologies Zach Wilson.
But generally, Darnold’s belated breakout has raised the question of whether the NFL has been too quick to dismiss a QB’s potential based on early results, especially if those underwhelming returns came in situations not especially conducive for success.
Like being drafted by the Jets.
(Again, with exception to Zach Wilson, apologies. On that one, we’re all pretty sure regardless.)
That brings us to Malik Willis.
Now, he’s somewhat of a stretch for the Darnold Corollary as Willis was a third-round draft pick (No. 86 overall) by the Tennessee Titans in 2022 — not a high first-round pick like Darnold.
A better fit for the Darnold Corollary would be Mac Jones. Or J.J. McCarthy once he gets replaced in Minnesota. Or Anthony Richardson, Michael Penix Jr., etc.
But Willis has been ratified in as a special inclusion.
How Willis Arrived At This Point
Drafted out Liberty, Willis didn’t get much shot with the Titans, starting three games (while appearing in eight) for the team as a rookie in 2022. He didn’t really do anything to warrant more, completing just 50.8% of his passes for 276 yards, 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions with 123 rushing yards and a score.
He attempted just 5 passes the next year and was traded to the Green Bay Packers for a seventh-round draft pick just before the start of the 2024 season.
It hardly seemed in the moment like the start of a career rebirth, but that’s indeed what’s happened the last two years.
Packers starting QB Jordan Love injured his knee in the 2024 season opener, thrusting Willis into the spotlight the next two games. In those starts — wins over the Colts and his former team the Titans — he combined to complete 25 of 33 passes for 324 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INTs and rushed for 114 yards and a score.
He backed it up further in Week 8, when he came off the bench for an injured Love late in the third quarter vs. the Jaguars. Willis contributed to two touchdowns — ripping off a 20-yard scramble on third down on the first scoring drive and tossing a 3-yard TD pass after the Packers recovered a fumble at the Jags’ 5-yard line. He then led the game-winning field goal drive as time expired, set up by his 51-yard completion downfield to Jaylen Reed. Overall, Willis completed 4 of 5 passes for 56 yards and a TD while rushing for 23 yards.
In the 2024 regular-season finale, Love was injured again in the second quarter and Wilson delivered another efficient performance with 10-of-13 passing for 136 yards in an eventual loss to the Bears on a late field goal.
Willis finished his first season in Green Bay completing 74.1% of his passes for 550 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs with 138 rushing yards and a TD.
Then he was somehow even better in 2025.
Willis took over for a concussed Love in a late-season loss at Chicago, completing 9 of 11 passes for 121 yards, a TD and 0 INTs with 44 rushing yards. He started the next week in a loss to the Ravens, completing 18 of 21 passes for 288 yards and a TD with no INTs while rushing for 60 yards and 2 TDs.
He finished the season completing 85.7% of his passes for 422 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs with 123 yards and 2 TDs rushing.
Suffice it to say, Willis earned himself a Brinks truck full of money heading into free agency.
NFL teams can begin negotiating with free agents Monday, but contracts can’t be finalized until the start of the new league year Wednesday.
Here are five potential landing spots for Willis.
5 Logical Landing Spots For Malik Willis In Free Agency
Miami Dolphins
This one just makes too much sense.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter has reported that the Dolphins are likely to release maligned quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after he was benched late last season. The team has new leadership and is headed for a total reset, so it makes sense — not financial sense, but that’s just the nature of business in the NFL — to eat the remaining owed money on Tagovailoa’s contract and move forward.
Recently released former Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray is the top free agent available at the position, but he’s been heavily linked to the Minnesota Vikings.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, are now led by new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and new head coach Jeff Hafley, who came over from the … yes, Green Bay Packers.
A reunion with Willis, who isn’t just a one-year veteran rental but could be the team’s QB into the future, makes too much sense.
Arizona Cardinals
Having made the decision to move on from Murray — one we questioned given the cost and the fact that Murray himself is now going to be an in-demand free agent — the Cardinals need to find their new franchise QB.
And it’s not going to be solid but unspectacular journeyman backup Jacoby Brissett, even if he posted fine numbers last season in relief of Murray.
There’s mounting buzz that the Cardinals intend to make a major run at Willis.
An interesting connection is that Arizona’s new head coach Mike LaFleur is the younger brother of Matt LaFleur, Willis’ coach in Green Bay the last two years.
New York Jets
The Jets are, as usual, trying to figure out their quarterback situation again after the Justin Fields experiment predictably flopped last year.
New York has a trove of first- and second-round draft picks this year and could take Alabama QB Ty Simpson, perhaps, but with so many needs to address across the roster it may make more sense to use those draft picks on other positions given this is considered a weak QB draft class with only projected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza truly moving the needle.
The Jets could see Willis as a potential immediate stabilizer for the offense — which presently also includes recently franchise-tagged running back Breece Hall and a solid No. 1 wide receiver in Garrett Wilson — who could accelerate their rebuild on that side of the ball.
Minnesota Vikings
If the Vikings don’t land Murray, Willis would be the next-most intriguing option as an upgrade over McCarthy.
Minnesota is an ideal landing spot for any quarterback right now. The Vikings were a 14-win team two years ago with Darnold, before McCarthy’s struggles tanked the 2025 season. They are led by an excellent offensive-minded head coach in Kevin O’Connell, have a top-5 WR in Justin Jefferson and other solid complementary pieces like WR Jordan Addison and TE T.J. Hockenson.
Atlanta Falcons
Veteran QB Kirk Cousins is being released and Michael Penix Jr. is recovering from yet another major knee surgery (after an injury-riddled college career). Penix also wasn’t very good over his first two NFL seasons, and the general manager that drafted him (Terry Fontenot) has been replaced.
It’s a new era in Atlanta under new head coach Kevin Stefanski, and the Falcons are built to win immediately with talent on both sides of the ball, including offensive stars in RB Bijan Robinson, WR Drake London and TE Kyle Pitts.
Whichever quarterback lands in Atlanta — either to compete with or outright replace Penix — is stepping into a prime situation.
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