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The Cardinals are expected to sign quarterback Malik Willis in free agency per Tony Pauline.
The Arizona Cardinals will press the reset button at quarterback, as they’ll move on from Kyler Murray this offseason. They may already be closing in on a potential replacement. Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports reports that Malik Willis, one of the top free-agent quarterbacks, is likely to end up in Arizona.
“People I’ve spoken with believe Willis ends up with the Arizona Cardinals, as they are expected to cut ties with Kyler Murray,” wrote Pauline.
This isn’t the first time the Cardinals named a team of interest regarding Willis’ impending free agency. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN first connected Arizona and the quarterback on February 8.
As the Cardinals start a new era under head coach Mike LaFleur, the quarterback position may be the most important one to address this offseason.
Why the Cardinals Would Be Interested in Malik Willis
With Murray likely to depart, and the Cardinals’ desire to improve their win total, a veteran makes more sense. They’re unlikely to get a starting quarterback out of the draft anyway in a weak class. Willis, 26, is still young enough that Arizona could build around him if he proves to be a great fit.
The Cardinals would prefer to trade Murray to save $34.7 million in cap space. However, his complicated contract could serve as an obstacle. His 2027 salary becomes fully guaranteed on March 15. That could result in a post-June 1 release, where Arizona saves $5.142 million in cap by spreading it over two seasons.
Even if the Cardinals have to release Murray, they have enough cap room to sign a quarterback. Per overthecap.com, Arizona has $39.182 million in cap space, with $27.658 million in effective cap space after accounting for their draft class. They can easily create more room by moving on from underperforming veterans.
Cardinals new head coach Mike LaFleur has some connections to Willis, despite never coaching him before. His older brother, Matt, coached the four-year veteran for the past two seasons. Also, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett served on the Green Bay Packers staff in 2025.
Malik Willis’ Free Agency Situation
In four seasons, Willis has started six games. He carries a record of 3-3 as a starter, including 2-1 with the Packers. His only start of 2025 came in Week 16 against the Baltimore Ravens, in which Green Bay lost 42-27. In that game, Willis completed 18 of 21 passes for 288 yards and a touchdown.
As many as four teams are known to be bidding for his services, with the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers also involved. Only the Steelers carry more cap space ($44.493 million) than the Cardinals entering the offseason.
The Dolphins, in particular, have a lot of ties to the Packers. Miami’s new head coach, Jeff Hafley, was previously Green Bay’s defensive coordinator. Pauline wrote that Hafley favors signing Willis as their next starting quarterback.
However, they don’t have a lot of cap room ($3.18 million) and are trying to move on from Tua Tagovailoa. Pauline believes that if Miami fails to land a veteran starter, they’ll run it back with Quinn Ewers and sign a backup such as Jimmy Garoppolo.
As things stand, the Cardinals should have a leg up on the competition to sign Willis. When free agency begins on March 11, it will be interesting to see what moves general manager Monti Ossenfort makes.
Michael McDermott Michael McDermott is a writer at Heavy Sports covering the Arizona Diamondbacks and Major League Baseball. Michael has 10 years experience writing about the D-backs and their farm system for AZ Snake Pit, Burn City Sports, and Diamondbacks On SI. More about Michael McDermott
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