{"id":683493,"date":"2026-01-17T05:19:24","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T05:19:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/683493\/"},"modified":"2026-01-17T05:19:24","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T05:19:24","slug":"packers-linked-to-former-top-5-qb-amid-malik-willis-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/683493\/","title":{"rendered":"Packers Linked to Former Top-5 QB Amid Malik Willis Concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"Malik\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Packers quarterback Malik Willis<\/p>\n

The Green Bay Packers<\/a> may have a hard time keeping Malik Willis<\/a> around.<\/p>\n

The 2022 third-round pick has built a strong reputation as one of the better backups in the NFL<\/a>. Willis has shown himself to be a capable game manager with upside mobility that could prove valuable. He appears ready to compete for a starting job elsewhere in the NFL with his rookie contract expiring this offseason.<\/p>\n

That leaves the Packers in the market for a veteran backup, and according to Bleacher Report\u2019s Kristopher Knox, former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance<\/a> could be in consideration.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Willis departs, the Packers will probably be in the market for a veteran backup. 2023 fifth-round pick Clayton Tune is the No. 3 QB behind Jordan Love and Willis, and he\u2019s only on a one-year deal,\u201d Knox wrote in a January 10 article<\/a>. \u201cExpect quarterbacks like Trey Lance and Gardner Minshew to interest the Packers as Love\u2019s next understudy.<\/p>\n

Trey Lance is a Model for Packers\u2019 Malik Willis Role\"\"<\/p>\n

Getty ImagesFormer Dallas Cowboys QB Trey Lance has signed with the Chargers.<\/p>\n

The No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 draft, Lance entered the NFL with elite athletic traits but lacked the experience and exposure needed to jump straight into action.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s slowly learned under the tutelage of San Francisco 49ers<\/a> coach Kyle Shanahan and has since made stops with the Dallas Cowboys<\/a> and Los Angeles Chargers<\/a>. Lance continues to get chances in the NFL because of those high-end athletic tools, and under the right offensive guidance, could command an offense.<\/p>\n

Similar to when Willis arrived in Green Bay, Lance is a raw athletic talent who needs his responsibilities and reads stripped down before being built back up.<\/p>\n

While Matt LaFleur\u2019s future in Green Bay has yet to be finalized, LaFleur\u2019s run-heavy approach behind a capable offensive line is the right environment for quarterbacks like Lance and Willis.<\/p>\n

As seen in Sam Darnold<\/a> and Daniel Jones<\/a>, late bloomers at the quarterback position have become forgotten, yet valuable commodities \u2014 and the Packers could provide their own blueprint to getting more out of castaway QBs.<\/p>\n

How Much Would it Cost Packers to Keep Malik Willis?<\/p>\n

For those curious and unwilling to part ways with Willis, here\u2019s the brass tax Green Bay is facing.<\/p>\n

The Packers are currently $15 million over the projected 2026 salary cap<\/a>. There are many avenues the organization must explore in order to get under before the start of 2026 free agency in March. Releasing Elgton Jenkins<\/a> alone would make Green Bay compliant, and with several other moves, the Packers can be buyers in free agency.<\/p>\n

However, given the hefty investment at quarterback already with Love scheduled to make $36 million in 2026, the Packers may find it difficult to justify paying Willis after another step forward in his career.<\/p>\n

Willis is projected by Spotrac to garner a one-year, $10 million contract<\/a>, which is a top-tier backup quarterback salary. Darnold signed the same deal to compete for the starting job with the Minnesota Vikings<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Willis will likely get the chance to compete for a starting job elsewhere, but if the Packers can get close to that figure, there could be a conversation about keeping him around one more year.<\/p>\n

However, Willis has much more to gain by taking a contract of that stature elsewhere in a prove-it deal scenario and be more than just an expensive insurance policy in Green Bay.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tTrevor Squire<\/a> is a sports journalist covering the NFL and NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks. Trevor studied journalism at the University of Minnesota \u2014 Twin Cities, making stops at the Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press. You can reach him at trevor.squire@heavy.com and follow him on Twitter @trevordsquire. More about Trevor Squire<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Packers\n\t\t<\/p>\n

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