Predicting the 2025-26 NFC West Turnout

Published: Tuesday, July 8, 2025

by Ryan Nelke

The NFC West was flipped on its head last year when the conference champion and division-winning 49ers went from first to worst, allowing the Rams to handily capture the West.  However, with San Francisco given the easiest schedule in 2025, they are once again favored to win the division.

The Rams are a close second, as they are the reigning NFC West champs and bolstered their offensive core this offseason, while Arizona and Seattle lurk behind, hoping to make some noise.  So, without further adieu, it is time to wrap up the NFC with my predictions for the 2025-26 NFC West.

The San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are going to be without some familiar faces going into the upcoming season, with WR Deebo Samuel, LB Dre Greenlaw, and CB Charvarius Ward all out the door, among other losses.  This brings concern to what once was a stellar defense, but arguably San Francisco’s biggest addition on the defensive end was bringing back their former DC Robert Saleh.

If their defense can at least be serviceable, it will allow this team to succeed as they still put forth an impressive offense.  The key for this offense will be staying on the field, and that was an issue last year with Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk.  Aiyuk is expected to start on the PUP list, but that should not hold back this Brock Purdy-led squad.

Last year was a disaster for the Niners, and I cannot see a world in which this team fails to bounce back, especially considering how soft their schedule is.  Expect San Francisco to rebound and in a big way, as they recapture the West with a 13-4 record.

The Los Angeles Rams

Los Angeles was inches away from pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the year in the NFC Divisional against Philadelphia, but their comeback fell just short in the red zone.  They will certainly have extra motivation to get back to that moment, and gave themselves an even better shot by taking a swing and bringing in WR Davante Adams.

Adams replaces Cooper Kupp, and once again sets up an elite WR duo of himself and Puka Nacua.  With Kyren Williams in the backfield and veteran Matthew Stafford at the helm, this offense should be clicking on all cylinders throughout 2025.

However, the secondary in Los Angeles is a glaring issue, and that might hold them back just a bit this year despite them boasting an impressive front highlighted by LB Jared Verse.  While this will not cause them to fall out of the playoffs, it could keep them from winning the division, as I have the Rams finishing 12-5 and securing the first Wild Card spot.

The Arizona Cardinals

2024 was just about as average as it could get for the Cardinals, but going into 2025, there is just so much potential on this offense for them to be average again.  Kyler Murray still leads the squad, and with a supporting cast of RB James Conner, WR Marvin Harrison Jr., and TE Trey McBride, I expect them to take the next step in their second season together.

While Arizona’s defense was not great against either the rush or pash last year, they brought in DE Josh Sweat, DT Calais Campbell, and DT Dalvin Tomlinson to flip the script.  Along with the second round pick CB Will Johnson, this defensive unit has the ability to make it tough on opposing offenses this season.

For these reasons, I think Arizona will improve this year and finish with a 10-7 record, but just missing out on the playoffs due to a tiebreaker.  However, do not be surprised at all if Murray and an improved defense returns to the playoffs in 2025.

The Seattle Seahawks

Geno Smith is out, and Sam Darnold is in at QB, while DK Metcalf is out, and Cooper Kupp is in at WR.  Those are two pretty big changes at key positions on this team and will most certainly dictate how far this team goes in the coming campaign.

Something that will reveal itself early on is if Darnold is the same QB without Kevin O’Connell as his coach anymore, as O’Connell helped revive Darnold’s career in Minnesota, leading them to a 14-3 season in 2024.

This team’s success will rest with Darnold and how this offensive cast performs, which also features the likes of RB Kenneth Walker III and WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba.  That said, I believe Darnold takes a step back this year and as a result, causes Seattle to finish at the bottom of the division with a 7-10 record.

Projected NFC West Standings

1) 49ers (13-4)
2) Rams (12-5), 1st Wild Card
3) Cardinals (10-7)
4) Seahawks (7-10)

The NFC West has the potential to be the most entertaining and tightly contested division this year, so find out how it all pans out when the NFL season kicks off on September 4th…

Ryan Nelke can be reached at nelkerya@shu.edu.

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