Cardinals Primed to Take Over NFC West

The Arizona Cardinals play in a difficult division, filled with top-end talent and future Hall of Fame coaches. But in 2025, the roles are beginning to look a bit different.

It feels as if the Cardinals have been perennially rebuilding — fighting to patch holes on an aging roster, or simply void of talent.

As the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers contended for Super Bowls, it felt like Arizona had been sitting on their proverbial couches since mid-season.

Tear down, rebuild, tear down, rebuild. No matter how often the Cardinals put forward a poor record, there was never sustained success behind it.

But now, the NFC West is seeing a great deal of turnover, roster-wise. The 49ers, who are always considered contenders, are coming off a 6-11 season, and seem to be in a bit of a roster purgatory, losing some of their contributors while facing a potential massive contract for QB Brock Purdy.

The Seahawks have stripped down already. QB Geno Smith is gone, as is DK Metcalf. It doesn't feel like an exact rebuild, since they've added Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp, but Mike McDonald's team is in a state of retooling, at the very least.

The Rams continue to be in the mix, adding Davante Adams and returning star QB Matthew Stafford. After a playoff run in 2025 that began with a dismal start, it doesn't appear Los Angeles is going anywhere just yet.

But the Cardinals are in a spot they haven't been lately. They've traversed the chasm of their rebuild years. They've stripped down the roster, added young talent and continued to build through the draft, rather than focusing all their resources on expensive aging stars.

On paper, the Cardinals' future truly looks the brightest. If the execution and consistency lines up with the development Arizona has already seen, they'll be more foundationally sound than some, if not all three of their division rivals.

This doesn't mean the Cardinals will, or even necessarily have to win the west in 2025, but that does provide the next step in the process. They doubled their win total from four to eight in 2025, and looked like a much better team at times, but fell short when they needed to squeeze out late wins.

Regardless, the Cardinals need to be in contention in the coming season. It might not pay off in an immediate playoff win, but they have to see notable improvement, and be fighting for a playoff spot at least up until the final moments of the regular season.

With the 49ers reeling, the Seahawks half-in and half-out of a rebuild, and a relatively old and expensive Rams squad, 2025 is the year for Arizona to strike.