Steelers Issue Statement After Receiving Key NFL Update on QB Malik Willis' Price Tag — And the Real Number Is Absolutely Outrageous

PITTSBURGH 

The Pittsburgh Steelers entered this offseason fully aware that the quarterback position would define their direction for 2026. What they did not anticipate was a number that would force them to rethink everything.

According to league sources, the projected market value for Malik Willis has now settled at no less than $30 million per year — a figure that reportedly caught Pittsburgh’s front office off guard.

Within hours of receiving the update during league meetings, the Steelers released messaging emphasizing “financial discipline, long-term roster balance, and strategic allocation of salary cap resources.”

In other words? The number is too high.

Willis, 26, is widely considered the most intriguing quarterback available in what many executives describe as a thin free-agent class. He possesses strong athletic traits, mobility, and developmental upside. However, his résumé remains limited — just six career starts and no extended stretch as a proven franchise cornerstone.

That is where the tension lies.

A $30 million annual salary places a quarterback firmly in the upper tier of NFL starters. For a player without sustained production, the risk becomes significant. While the Steelers do have cap flexibility, they have consistently prioritized maintaining long-term roster stability.

Multiple sources indicate Pittsburgh had legitimate interest in exploring a deal — until the revised market projection circulated. At that point, the tone shifted from proactive pursuit to cautious evaluation.

Publicly, the organization is not closing any doors. Privately, however, executives understand that committing premium money to an unproven quarterback could compromise roster construction across multiple positions.

The ripple effects are already visible.

Confidence in a potential Aaron Rodgers return increases. Second-year quarterback Will Howard gains a clearer developmental path. And perhaps most notably, the likelihood that Pittsburgh maintains continuity rather than chasing volatility has grown stronger.

In today’s NFL, quarterback scarcity often inflates contract values.

The Steelers appear unwilling to overreact.

As one team source put it: “We value talent. But the value has to make sense.”

For now, Malik Willis remains an option — just not at that price.