The Pittsburgh Steelers had a chance to clinch the AFC North without playing a single down of football. If the Green Bay Packers had beaten the Baltimore Ravens last Saturday night, the Steelers would have won the division. And their hopes didn’t come down to QB Jordan Love. Instead, backup QB Malik Willis started the game.
And while Willis and the Packers could not take down the Ravens, he certainly did everything he could to win that game. He completed 85.7 percent of his passes on 21 attempts for 288 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. And he carried the ball nine times for 60 yards and two touchdowns. Even in a loss, it was a statement game for Willis. That’s why former Steelers S Ryan Clark thinks he could be one of the five players to take the league by storm next season. Could Willis do that with the Steelers?
“I would love to see it,” Clark said Thursday on First Take. “I feel like the Pittsburgh Steelers have been trying to piecemeal that position together since Ben Roethlisberger left. Drafted people like Kenny Pickett at 20, who, if you remember, was in the same draft as Malik Willis. And there was a lot of conversation about who would be the first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“He is a guy now who I believe that can go into Pittsburgh and be what he has become, not who they thought he was in the draft.”
The Steelers certainly did their homework on Malik Willis in 2022. Head coach Mike Tomlin, then-general manager Kevin Colbert, and others were present at Willis’ Pro Day. And he was often paired with the Steelers in mock drafts leading up to the draft. He may not have followed a conventional path, playing two years at Auburn before spending his final two years at Liberty. But he threw for 2,200+ yards and 20+ touchdowns in each of his two seasons at Liberty.
But the Steelers opted for Pickett, and the Tennessee Titans drafted Willis in the third round that year. Willis only appeared in 11 games for the Titans in two seasons before the Packers traded for him ahead of the 2024 season.
Since then, Willis has backed up Love and appeared in 11 games as well. While he floundered a bit in Tennessee, he’s made more plays in Green Bay. He has completed 70 of 89 pass attempts (78.7 percent) for 972 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions. He’s also carried the ball 42 times for 261 yards and three touchdowns.
And you’ll get occasional moments of sheer insanity (in a good way) like this.
MALIK WILLIS REFUSES TO GO DOWN 😤
BALvsGB on @peacock
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/TwUGJ00EP2
— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2025
You know the Ravens’ defense already hates the idea of facing Willis again.
If the Malik Willis we’ve seen in spot duty for the Packers is the real Malik Willis, then the Steelers would do quite well to pursue him in 2026. It would be a bit funny as Steelers QB Mason Rudolph beat Willis out as the backup in Tennessee, hence the trade to Green Bay.
The Steelers won’t be alone in pursuing Malik Willis, though. ESPN’s Dan Graziano said multiple teams will be keeping a close eye on Willis, especially with the thin QB draft class in 2026. But the Steelers need to find a long-term solution to their quarterback woes. And Malik Willis might just be their best option, considering where they’re going to be drafting.
