Green Bay Packers interview 2 potential QB candidates to replace Malik Willis — per Adam Schefter
The Green Bay Packers are almost certain to enter the 2026 season without Malik Willis as their backup quarterback. After playing his way from a modest $1 million salary into what is expected to be a significant free-agent payday, Willis has likely priced himself out of Green Bay. With Jordan Love already commanding starter money, the Packers simply cannot afford to keep him.
So who replaces him?
At the moment, the only quarterbacks under contract are Desmond Ridder and Kyle McCord, who signed a futures deal. That leaves clear uncertainty behind Love — and it opened the door for an intriguing suggestion from NFL insider Adam Schefter.
Schefter floated what he described as a theoretical idea: Arizona’s Kyler Murray and Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa as potential options. He clarified these were not reports, but speculative possibilities — quarterbacks who might never agree to serve as obvious backups, yet whose situations make the conversation interesting.
Unlike Willis, both Murray and Tagovailoa were highly paid franchise quarterbacks. They have secured massive contracts and carried organizations’ expectations. However, both now find themselves in uncertain standing with their teams. Murray has struggled with injuries and inconsistency in Arizona. Tagovailoa, facing similar durability and performance concerns in Miami, is tied to a contract that makes a buyout nearly impossible due to a significant dead cap hit.
Schefter’s point was not about logistics — which remain complicated. Any trade would likely require the current team to absorb much of the salary. Instead, he focused on fit.
“If I were a guy like Kyler Murray or Tua Tagovailoa, Green Bay would be appealing,” Schefter said. “You’re with a good organization, a good system, talented players. You take a year to reset yourself, decompress, learn, and see things from a different perspective. There are worse places to wind up than Green Bay.”
He acknowledged both quarterbacks would likely prefer starting opportunities. But if those opportunities do not materialize, Green Bay could offer stability and structure — something that helped revive Willis’ trajectory.
Would the Packers consider it? Only at the right financial terms. If Arizona or Miami were willing to cover the majority of the contract, a dual-threat option like Murray could be attractive in a backup role similar to Willis.
For now, it remains speculation. But in an offseason full of quarterback movement, even theoretical ideas can spark compelling discussion — especially when they involve former franchise passers searching for a second act.
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