Malik Willis has been generally acknowledged as the top free agent quarterback available.
At times, though, it has almost felt like a begrudgingly bestowed honor, like it was just a default spot for the Green Bay Packers‘ backup QB who is heading for the open market.
NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal doesn’t view Willis like that, though.
Rosenthal ranks Willis as the No. 1 free agent in the entire NFL.
“I see him as the most dynamic quarterback in football as a runner, and his tape in Green Bay showed incredible growth as a passer over his two years with Matt LaFleur,” Rosenthal writes. “Despite his limited sample size, Willis jumped to the top spot of this ranking based on the same logic that applies to the NFL draft: If a potential franchise quarterback is good enough to be ranked in the top five of a list like this, then he should be placed first, by virtue of the position. The ceiling is the roof.”
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That first sentence is incredible praise, given that this era features more QBs capable of running than at any other time in football history.
And then Rosenthal makes the point that’s really more important than any other: Willis is a quarterback. Of course that’s obvious, but it’s also very relevant.
It’s the most important position in sports. Yes, that will impact the salary Willis is actually given by another team. More than that, it impacts his realistic value.
Especially given the weak free agent QB market beyond Willis, it’s like he’s the top quarterback in a draft that has no other good quarterbacks (much like the 2026 class with Fernando Mendoza and then a wide gap).
Willis will be the most crucial player signed in free agency. That doesn’t mean he’ll work out. But he’ll be signed with the idea in mind that he can turn around a franchise. That’s what a new QB is supposed to do.
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