Why Cardinals may make this decision about Packers QB Malik Willis

The Arizona Cardinals need a new starting quarterback, as they are set to officially part ways with Kyler Murray when the new league year opens this coming Wednesday. 

Some have linked the Cardinals with current Green Bay Packers backup Malik Willis, who likely will be the top player at the position to hit the open market next week. For his latest mailbag published on Thursday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated shared why the Cardinals may not be a realistic landing spot for Willis. 

Will Malik Willis be too expensive for Cardinals? 

"Arizona owes Kyler Murray $36.8M for 2026, via the guarantees on the contract he signed in ’22," Breer explained. "Presuming Murray does a league-minimum deal elsewhere, the Cardinals will only have $1.3M of that alleviated. So they’ll likely be responsible for $35.5M in cash, and that, plus more than $20M in leftover prorated bonus money on the cap. If the idea is to clean out the decks a bit in (new head coach Mike LaFleur's) first year, then it’d make sense to go with an economical option at quarterback, given the Cardinals’ existing fiscal commitments at the position heading into 2026."

Specifically, multiple reports have indicated that the Cardinals may view current Los Angeles Rams backup and journeyman quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as a Band-Aid option. Garoppolo had LaFleur as a coach when the latter served as an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers and, later, as offensive coordinator with the Rams. One would think Garoppolo would be a much cheaper option than Willis. 

That said, recent updates have hinted that the market for Willis' services may not be as robust as thought ahead of the NFL scouting combine. If Willis finds that teams are only willing to give him a deal that pays him around $25M per season and that can be escaped as soon as next offseason, the Cardinals could have a shot at acquiring the 26-year-old. 

Why Malik Willis may want to join the Cardinals

"Willis came up in Mike LaFleur’s style of offense and played for Mike’s brother, (head coach Matt LaFleur), in Green Bay," Breer wrote. "He’s the sort of high-end bridge that could help get a team that’s picking high through in a year where there aren’t many highly-touted quarterbacks." 

The Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins are among potential suitors for Willis, but neither team may be all that keen on getting into a bidding war for a quarterback as soon as next week. Thus, money may only be so much of a factor as it pertains to Willis' free-agency decision.