The Minnesota Vikings played on Christmas Day, defeating the Detroit Lions , so fans got to experience the rest of the NFL's Week 17 docket uninterrupted. Along the way, a handful of fans fell in love with Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis , who performed wonderfully on Saturday night, despite his team's loss at home to the Baltimore Ravens .
Willis is the kind of low-cost, upside backup fans latch onto when the QB1 plan keeps getting jolted.
Minnesota will be in the market for an extra quarterback in the upcoming offseason, either to compete with J.J. McCarthy next summer or to serve as reliable insurance.
Willis could be "the guy" for the Vikings' QB2 job next season.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis jogs onto the field during pregame warmups on Dec. 20, 2025, at Soldier Field in Chicago, loosening up ahead of Green Bay's road matchup with the Bears as kickoff neared under cold conditions. Mandatory Credit: © Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.
Willis' Free Agency per ESPN
Even before Willis' stellar performance in Week 17 — that almost guided Green Bay to a dub — ESPN's Jeremy Fowler pounded the table for his impending free agency.
Fowler wrote earlier this week, "He's a very intriguing free agent to watch next spring. He was the 86th pick in the 2022 draft, which means he's playing on the fourth and final year of his rookie deal. He is 26 years old and has now spent basically two full seasons being coached by Matt LaFleur, Adam Stenavich and the Packers' offensive coaching staff, and he has played well when he has had to fill in for Love because of injury."
"As we discussed above, there are a lot of teams that are going to be in the QB market this offseason. Not all of them will be able to address the position via the draft, and several have their eyes on Willis as a potential solution given what he has been able to do in Green Bay. The Packers like him a lot and could try to keep him, but if he has a chance to go somewhere else and compete for a starting job, that might be tough to do."
The Titans, Willis' original team, gave up on him after three starts in favor of Will Levis , who was later left for dead when Tennessee drafted Cam Ward last April. Perhaps Willis could become the league's next reclamation story, not unlike Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold .
A Gem Versus Baltimore
Both backup quarterbacks in Packers-Ravens utterly balled out, including Baltimore QB2 Tyler Huntley. But Willis put up better numbers in a losing effort, banking 288 passing yards on 21 attempts, with 3 total touchdowns, 60 rushing yards, no interceptions, and a 94.5 ESPN QBR, which is nearly flawless.
Some fans even joked on the internet that Willis is better than Jordan Love , the handsomely paid starter for Green Bay who missed Week 17 with a concussion.
Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis goes through warmups on Oct. 29, 2023, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, facing Atlanta ahead of kickoff while stretching, throwing, and preparing for early snaps in the pregame routine under the stadium lights. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports.
Willis has just 58 dropbacks this season, yet with the small sample, he's the NFL's single-best quarterback per EPA+CPOE . That's legendary performance, though it probably wouldn't sustain at that Hall of Fame pace.
Fans' Reaction
All eyeballs were on the Packers and Ravens, and with the Vikings probably needing a different quarterback behind McCarthy in 2026 — or to challenge him outright for the QB1 job — fans were quick to recommend Willis and his free agency.
VikingsCentral tweeted Sunday , "I'm about 90% sure Malik Willis is going to be a Viking.. just makes sense. 26 years old. Big arm. Let's bring him in to compete."
A popular Vikings fan on social media called "The Brohoian" tweeted , "Not even kidding the Vikings bringing Malik Willis in to compete makes some sense. He actually looks pretty good every time I watch him."
Purple Insider's Matthew Coller added , "If you were thinking about the Vikings signing Malik Willis… he probably just played himself out of their price range."
Kalshi Sports' Dustin Klug : "Vikings need to get Malik Willis on the roster for 2026."
The idea spread like wildfire on social media and probably won't relent until March.
The Scouting Report
Let's flash back to Willis' rookie profile about four years ago. The way he's playing now in Green Bay is what many draft pundits expected the whole time. NFL.com 's Lance Zierlein fired up a compelling comparison in 2022, calling Willis a player with Jay Cutler 's arm and Jalen Hurts ' play style.
Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis warms up before kickoff on Nov. 12, 2023, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, going through throwing drills and footwork as Tennessee prepared to face the Buccaneers in a road matchup during pregame routines with staff watching closely. © Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK.
Zierlein wrote back then, "Upside quarterback with special parts of his game, but with no guarantee they will be assembled properly into a finished product. Willis uses his rare combination of elite rushing talent and a rocket-launching right arm to unlock explosive plays in two different ways."
"He has the arm to beat safeties to the deepest parts of the field and makes impressive throws from inside and outside the pocket. On the flip side, Willis' mechanical and operational inconsistencies lead to erratic timing and accuracy, and he doesn't throw with enough touch. Protection and receiver separation were both issues, but Willis also pressed over the second half of the season and never looked comfortable in the Liberty offense."
Willis ultimately fell to Round 3 , but in the weeks preceding the draft, many mock-drafted him in Round 1.
"On the pro level, additional film work and a layered, pro-style passing attack could allow for more focused reads and help him see the field faster and more clearly from the pocket. Play-callers must lean into his special talent as a runner and include called runs into the game plan," Zierlein continued.
"Even if Willis fails to reach his passing potential, running ability doesn't slump and he has the talent to produce on the ground at a level between Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson ."
Willis is in the middle of a career rejuvenation, and some team will let him audition for a QB1 job in July and August. It might even be the Vikings.
