NFC West Predictions: Seahawks Repeat At No.1?

It shouldn’t be a surprise that the Arizona Cardinals will finish last in the NFC West. Kyler Murray’s departure puts them in temporary quarterback purgatory. They did, however, draft a nice running back in Jeremiah Love with the third overall pick. 

The Cardinals have arguably the best tight end in the league in Trey McBride and an up-and-coming star in Marvin Harrison Jr. They have decent talent across the board, but with Gardner Minshew and Jacoby Brissett, they have a hard ceiling at five to six wins. 

3. San Francisco 49ers

Every year is a mystery with the San Francisco 49ers. When they are healthy, they are the best team in the NFC West. When they are not, they’re usually stuck at the bottom. 

This year, however, the Seahawks and Rams have separated themselves from the rest of the division and the conference as well. San Francisco, though, should still be a competitive team. 

The addition of Mike Evans gives Brock Purdy another weapon. The defense, which struggled a lot last year getting after the quarterback, brought back a fan favorite in Dre Greenlaw. This was a team that won 12 games last year, so they won’t be a pushover. 

Expect the 49ers to win 10+ games and finish third once again. 

2. Seattle Seahawks

This is the major change in the NFC West. The Seahawks will not repeat as NFC West champs because of who they lost in the offseason, while the Rams improved their position. This team lost key pieces on both sides of the ball. 

On offense, Seattle lost Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III. That is a major blow to a top 10 rushing attack from a year ago. He led them, the team with 221 carries and 1,027 yards and five touchdowns. 

On defense, the Seahawks lost Boye Mafe(edge rusher), Coby Bryant(safety), and Riq Woolen(cornerback). They were all key pieces to arguably the best defense in the league. 

Even with the departures, Seattle has a strong core. The Seahawks brought back triple crown winner Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a lucrative four-year $168.6 million contract extension. Sam Darnold orchestrates the offense, and Mike MacDonald runs the defense, so there’s no way they can be counted out. 

Expect an 11-12 win season from the defending champs. 

1. Los Angeles Rams

This Rams team was so close last year on so many levels. They lost the NFC West to Seattle when they blew a 16-point lead to the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football with both teams sitting at 11-3. That game may have been the difference between Seattle and not Los Angeles being champs.

The next instance was the NFC Championship Game. The Rams were down 31-27 with five minutes to go in the game at Seahawks’ six-yard line. They ended up failing on fourth down and never got a real chance after that. 

Los Angeles played Seattle as tightly as one could have. Now, the Rams have the reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, while the champs lost Walker III, as mentioned above. Los Angeles’ biggest problem was pass defense. Darnold lit them up for three touchdowns and no turnovers with over 300 yards in the NFC Championship game.

Now that Garrett is on the team, the pass rush and, subsequently, the secondary will no longer be a weakness. The Rams will claim this division, winning 13-14 games, and will be the favorites to win it all.

End Of My NFC West Rant

This division comes down to two teams: the Rams and Seahawks. The Cardinals are perhaps a year or two away from making some noise, and the 49ers can play spoiler. 

Considering the Seattle losses and the big Los Angeles addition, there’s reason to believe Sean McVay and company will be the kings of the West this year. The teams were incredibly evenly matched in 2025. 

The field has clearly tilted in the Rams’ favor.