Malik Willis has been a backup quarterback since he entered the league four years ago. But heading into free agency, he is reportedly a highly sought-after veteran presence. Topping the charts are the Miami Dolphins and the Cleveland Browns, with several other teams also keeping a close eye on the situation.

“Packers free agent QB Malik Willis is in demand, as expected, and interested teams I’ve spoken to at the Combine in Indianapolis believe him getting at least $30M per year is a foregone conclusion,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported on February 25.

Willis is set to become an unrestricted free agent after completing his four-year, $5.16 million rookie contract. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport had already projected his value at $30 to $35 million per year before the Combine even began. Now with this many teams in the picture, that number is only going to go higher.

Few teams need a quarterback more urgently than the Dolphins. Their franchise quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, endured one of the most turbulent seasons of his career in 2025. He completed 260 of 384 passes for 2,660 yards and 20 touchdowns across 14 games. But the glaring issue with the six-year quarterback is that he threw 15 interceptions and fumbled the ball eight times.

Tagovailoa finished the year with a 6-8 record as a starter before former head coach Mike McDaniel benched him following a Week 15 loss to the Steelers. Then-rookie Quinn Ewers stepped in as his replacement for the remainder of the season. Then, in January, Tagovailoa made his intentions clear. When asked about the prospect of a fresh start on a new team, he said simply: “That would be dope.”

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The door is wide open for Miami to pursue a new quarterback, but the franchise’s finances tell a more complicated story. The Dolphins currently sit just $3.18 million above the salary cap, and their effective cap space is actually $4.15 million below the cap, per Over the Cap. That financial reality is something the franchise’s new general manager, Jon-Eric Sullivan, is navigating carefully.

“Have we had conversations about Malik? I think anybody that is potentially in the quarterback market would be lying if they said they have not,” Sullivan said at the Combine. “The reality of the situation is we have 30-plus unrestricted and restricted free agents. And we got eight picks as we sit here today and not a ton of money to do stuff in free agency.”

The money situation makes Miami’s pursuit complicated. However, if the Dolphins cannot give Willis the offer he is looking for, the other teams in the race can surely oblige.​

The Browns want Malik Willis, and so does everyone else

The Browns are in their ongoing quarterback dilemma and are looking for a player to bring depth and competition to that position room. General manager Andrew Berry made his position clear at the Combine, stating that “there’s always a possibility” to add more players to the QB room. 

However, Cleveland’s financial situation is just as tight as Miami’s, if not tighter. The Browns sit just $3.21 million above the salary cap and carry $9.06 million in negative effective cap space, making any big free agency move a significant challenge before they clear some room.

That background makes it worth understanding how Willis arrived at this moment. Willis was drafted by the Titans in the 2022 draft, where he developed behind Ryan Tannehill. In 2024, he was traded to the Packers for a 2025 seventh-round pick and continued developing behind Jordan Love. Over four seasons, Willis has appeared in 22 games, made just six starts, and posted a 3-3 record.

Beyond Miami and Cleveland, the Cardinals are emerging as one of the strongest potential landing spots. General manager Monti Ossenfort goes back a long way with Willis, as he was part of the Titans organization when Tennessee drafted him in 2022.

That said, Spotrac’s early market projection placed Willis at approximately $10.5 million per year. But that number feels like too little now. With several franchises circling at the Combine, Willis will almost certainly land a deal well above the $30 million floor that insiders are already treating as a given.