Dec 14, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) is seen during warmups prior to the game against the Detroit Lions at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Rams Rule the NFC West QB Hierarchy

Originally posted on Los Angeles Rams on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated Mar 14, 2026 9:00 AM ET

The NFC West was one of the toughest divisions in the NFL last season, and it appeared to look the same way in 2026. However, not every team in the Los Angeles Rams division walked away as big winners of free agency.

The Seattle Seahawks were able to retain some of their players, but a good chunk of their roster left for other teams in free agency. The San Francisco 49ers did bring in an impressive haul of players, but their health remains to be seen in the regular season. Finally, the Arizona Cardinals just got rid of their starting quarterback.

NFC West QB Hierarchy

Los Angeles

Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Even if Matthew Stafford is entering his 18th year in the league, he's far and away the best quarterback in this division. The reigning MVP may not have ended the season hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, but he stood toe-to-toe with every quarterback he faced. He's defying Father Time and looks to continue his Hall of Fame career with another year of leading a Super Bowl contender.

He has an excellent play-caller in Sean McVay, but he's shown he can make plays out of structure even if he isn't a mobile quarterback. He has the most poise and finesse in the division, and he clears each other quarterback in the NFC West by a mile.

Seattle

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

I think it's time for the NFL world to accept that Sam Darnold is a good quarterback now. While his touchdown numbers may have gone down from his year with the Minnesota Vikings, it's clear that he's improved in all facets of the game.

Even if his defense did a lot of the heavy lifting in their Super Bowl victory, they wouldn't have secured the first seed in the NFC if Darnold didn't have a killer deep ball. The recent Super Bowl champion is comfortably in second place.

San Francisco

Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Credit to Brock Purdy for not losing his starting job to Mac Jones, but I have to respect who has a ring and who doesn't. I believe Purdy does more for the 49ers offense than Darnold does for the Seahawks, but these past two seasons, he hasn't been able to replicate his explosive ascension in 2023.

I don't think you can still call him a product of Kyle Shanahan's scheme, but I also think he's a low-end starter who's making the most of his situation. Darnold took a step forward in his ability to scan the field and be an effective field general. I'd like to see Purdy take that same step.

Arizona

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

I think Jacoby Brissett is underrated, but he's clearly not a franchise guy. They're comfortably at the bottom of this list, even if they hadn't cut Kyler Murray. The Cardinals may land their franchise signal-caller in next season's draft, but for the 2026 season, they'll have the worst quarterback in the NFC West.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Rams on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: