New QB Enters Vikings Rumor Mill
The Minnesota Vikings are widely expected to pair 2024 draft pick J.J. McCarthy with another quarterback in the upcoming offseason, as the young passer has not shown enough to be the unquestioned starter going forward. The identity of that new signal-caller is anyone’s guess.
Malik Willis Is an Option
Among the options is current Packers backup Malik Willis, who has been fantastic whenever Green Bay asked him to relieve Jordan Love. Dating back to last season, Willis has appeared in 11 games, starting three of them.
He has completed 70 of 89 passes in a Packers uniform, resulting in an absurd completion percentage of 78.7%. Those completions turned into 972 passing yards, six passing touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Furthermore, he’s dangerous with his legs, as evidenced by his 42 rushes for 261 yards and another three scores. Nearly a third of his plays are runs, and he’s quite good at doing that.
Willis has a 2-1 record as the starting quarterback. The Vikings have a 3-4 record with backups this season and it’s fair to wonder whether Willis could’ve pulled off a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin or the Philadelphia Eagles a couple of weeks later. McCarthy missed both contests with a high ankle sprain.
Initially selected in the third round of the 2022 draft, Willis was considered a raw project, but respected draft analysts fell in love with his physical tools. Sporting a rocket arm and almost Lamar Jackson-like rushing ability, he was a popular pick in the top five in mock drafts. Ultimately, Willis slipped into the third round where the Tennessee Titans ended his fall.
Draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote ahead of the draft, “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.”
He viewed the Liberty prospect as a first-round pick.
The Titans initially stuck with Ryan Tannehill and then replaced Willis as the developmental QB with second-rounder Will Levis a year later. They shipped him to Green Bay in the 2024 offseason for minimal draft compensation. Notably, the Titans haven’t had any success in years.
Willis is intriguing for the Vikings (aside from his play) because he is available on the open market. Several other theoretical options — Jacoby Brissett, Kyler Murray, Mac Jones, and Tua Tagovailoa — are under contract for the 2026 season and would require either a trade package going the other way or a release from their old club.
The Vikings could get a good look at their potential QB challenger on Sunday. Locked into the seventh seed in the playoff picture, there’s no need to start Jordan Love or any other top player. Willis has been dealing with a shoulder injury that also cost him part of Green Bay’s latest loss, but head coach Matt LaFleur expects him to be available for the border battle.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell needs to find this year’s version of Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith, or even pre-injury Daniel Jones. Willis could be a comparable breakout story, given he has the tools to succeed and has worked on his craft behind the scenes for years.
Expect the Vikings to be linked to every possible quarterback option in the upcoming months. Willis should certainly be one of them.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.