Is this the best division in football? For my money, it’s still the AFC North, but the NFC West does present a compelling case.
Take the San Francisco 49ers, for instance. They’re the defending NFC Champs. They have a roster littered with All-Pro-caliber players in the midst of their primes. They can afford all these superstars because their quarterback Brock Purdy makes a pittance as a former 7th-round pick. In terms of dollars and cents, no team is getting more value out of their QB spot – and that’s helped the Niners build arguably the most complete roster in the league.
The Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals all have their own reasons for optimism too. LA could be seeing a lot of fireworks this year with Matthew Stafford throwing to a healthy Cooper Kupp and breakout star Puka Nacua. The Seahawks hope new head coach Mike Macdonald can create a Legion of Boom 2.0 after terrorizing offenses for two years as the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens. The Arizona Cardinals, meanwhile, were just about the scrappiest four-win team you’ve seen in your life, rounding out a division that’s nearly as promising as it is proven.
The enthusiasm seems warranted. All the teams in this division are balanced offensively and defensively, and they feature some of the league’s best coaching staffs. The Niners seem like the obvious favorites, but what if Stafford and Co. have a throwback year? What if the Seahawks go from bottom-eight defensively to top-eight under Macdonald? And now that quarterback Kyler Murray is all the way back and rookie receiving-sensation Marvin Harrison Jr. is in the fold, who’s to say the Cardinals can’t make a huge leap? No matter what, the winner of the NFC West will be nothing if not battle-tested.
Arizona Cardinals
Notable Additions:
DT Justin Jones
RT Jonah Williams
CB Sean Bunting
DT Bilal Nichols
LB Mack Wilson
LG Evan Brown
Notable Departures:
WR Marquis “Hollywood” Brown
LT D.J. Humphries
WR Rondale Moore
Notable Rookies:
Best-Case: 10 - 7, 2nd in the NFC West
In his first year in Arizona, head coach Jonathan Gannon didn’t have a lot going for him. The Cardinals had just hit rock-bottom, their roster was a mess, and their now-quite-expensive QB was recovering from a season-ending ACL tear. There was no time for an orientation – Gannon was putting out fires from Day One.
Fast-forward to today and, despite a second-consecutive four-win season, the Cardinals have to feel pretty good about their direction. They may not have “wowed” in the win column, but on game days, they left everyone who watched them with a favorable impression. This team was the football embodiment of granite. No flash, barely any shine at all – just pure hardness and grit. If they can carry over that mentality to 2024, the Cardinals could be this season’s sleeper playoff team.
The Cardinals were extremely active in the offseason, and even though few of their biggest additions are household names, it’s hard not to conclude the obvious: the Cardinals got better this offseason. How much better they got exactly will probably come down to Murray's performance, but as of today, they look stout, and that’s a far cry from where they were last year.
The X-Factor is Harrison Jr. This dude has super-duper-star written all over him, and if he can be the guy in year one, the offense will take a massive leap. Combine that with the certain improvement of the defense under Gannon’s watchful eye, and the Cardinals could be on track for their first winning season since 2021. The strength of the division makes it hard to see a path for the Cardinals to get much more than ten wins, but after two-straight meaningless seasons, Cardinals fans will be more than happy with this result.
Worst-Case: 3 - 14, 4th in the NFC West
Just because a team appears to be moving in the right direction doesn’t mean the standings will reflect that. That was pretty much the case with the Cardinals last year. They might have left an impression of a better team, but they still finished with just four wins. They might have improved the roster, but it still doesn’t measure up to their divisional peers. Oh yeah, and they still have six games this year against that same division. Another 0 - 6 showing in the NFC West could be in store this year too.
The Cardinals were the “try-hards” of the 2024 season, and unfortunately, they’ll need to try extra hard this year if they want to overcome the pitiful state of this roster. Murray was a top-pick once upon a time, but that feels like a century ago after many repeated failures and untimely injuries. Harrison Jr. may be a superstar talent, but he might not have a QB who can get that kind of play out of him. Outside of emerging tight end Trey McBride, there really isn’t any other standout playmaker to take any pressure off Harrison Jr. either.
Improvement from the defense should be expected given that’s Gannon’s specialty, but why didn’t that apply last year? In 2022, the Cardinals’ last season with Kliff Kingsbury (a notoriously defense-adverse coach), they finished dead-last in the NFL in points allowed, and Kingsbury was fired. In 2023, under Gannon, the Cardinals finished…dead-last. Sure, they might play hard, but what if that’s just obscuring the fact no one knows what they’re doing?
Los Angeles Rams
Notable Additions:
LG Jonah Jackson
CB Darious Williams
SS Kamren Curl
CB Tre’Davious White
Notable Departures:
SS Jordan Fuller
DT Aaron Donald
Notable Rookies:
Best-Case: 12 - 5, 1st in the NFC West
A Super Bowl rerun? The Rams are up for it. With Matthew Stafford looking as sharp as ever, Cooper Kupp back to full-strength, Puka Nacua coming out of nowhere to be one of the deadliest receivers on the planet, this offense appears ready to get back to its championship form – and this group could be even better.
Stafford showed last year he has plenty left in the tank. Kupp and Nacua will be impossible for defenses to cover, and if they sell out in the attempt to do so, second-half star Kyren Williams will be there to make them pay on the ground. Head coach Sean McVay is still there pushing all the right buttons, and his scheme and play-design remain top-notch. With new left guard Jonah Jackson added from the Lions to bolster the offensive line, there really isn’t a weakness anywhere on this offense.
Defensively, replacing the singular talent that was Aaron Donald will be the priority, but thankfully, the Rams got ahead of that problem with some shrewd drafting. Rookie defensive tackle Kobie Turner produced nine sacks in a part-time role, far outplaying his status as a third-round pick. He’ll have more help in 2024, as the Rams spent their first two draft picks on edge rusher Jared Verse and defensive end Braden Fiske. Meanwhile, free agent signings Darious Williams, Kamren Curl and Tre’Davious White all help to shore up a leaky secondary. With their explosive passing offense, steadily improving defense, and outstanding coaching, the Rams have all the pieces to get back to contending for (and potentially winning) Super Bowls.
Worst-Case: 7 - 10, 3rd in the NFC West
For many of the reasons above, it’s hard to see the Rams falling too far down the standings. However, a lot is riding on Matthew Stafford’s shoulders – which, fair or unfair, have taken quite the beating. Facts are facts: Stafford isn’t getting any younger, and in terms of punishment taken over the years, Stafford has to be one of the oldest 36-year-olds in the league.
Yes, his receivers are excellent, but if Kupp, who has his own lengthy injury history to wrestle with, isn’t back to his usual self. Nacua could be a one-man show on Sundays – and he’s dealing with a bum knee! The offensive line still has holes, especially now that left tackle Alaric Jackson has been suspended for the first two games of the season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
However, even with all of that said, it cannot be stressed enough how big of a blow the retirement of Aaron Donald is to the Rams. Not only was he their leader and face of the franchise, he was a unique defensive force who totally ruined games for teams who didn’t divest tons of resources into slowing (never stopping) him. Donald is arguably the greatest defensive tackle (and maybe defensive player) in the history of the game – that kind of player can never be replaced.
Turner had a great rookie season, but now he has to do it without Donald commanding at least two offensive linemen per play. Everyone’s life on defense will be harder now – and that’s without factoring in the loss of defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who is now the head coach in Atlanta. It might have been manageable for the Rams to lose Donald or Morris, but not both.
San Francisco 49ers
Notable Additions:
DE Leonard Floyd
DE Yetur Gross-Matos
Notable Departures:
DT Arik Armstead
DE Chase Young
DT Javon Kinlaw
WR Ray-Ray McCloud
Notable Rookies:
Best-Case: 13 - 4, 1st in the NFC West
As it turns out, you can build a pretty sweet roster when you play your QB less than a million dollars per year! That’s what the living-luxury that is Brock Purdy gives the 49ers: their golden ticket to the good life. Of course, it won’t last forever – not with Purdy about to become a $50-million-per-year man in half a year, but those are next year's problems. In 2024, the Niners are everyone else’s problem.
Top-to-bottom, there may not be a more talented roster in the league. The Niners had no fewer than seven All-Pro players in 2023. Nine were voted to the Pro Bowl. This year, those numbers could be even higher.
Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey and Fred Warner are the best players in the league at their positions (left tackle, running back, and linebacker, respectively). Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel make for an elite duo of receivers. George Kittle is on the short-list of best tight ends. Nick Bosa recently won Defensive Player of the Year, while Charvarious Ward has become a star at cornerback and Javon Hargrave remains a force at defensive tackle. Even safety Talanoa Hufanga is a player on the rise.
To top it off, Kyle Shannahan’s offense has been an unstoppable machine even without quality QB play, and believe me, Purdy is giving them more than quality. He’s stirring their drink. He’s becoming a star in his own right. And the Niners should be considered a Super-Bowl favorite because of him.
Worst-Case: 6 - 11, 3rd in the NFC West
Could the Niners really have a season as bad as this? Believe it or not, under Kyle Shannahan, this wouldn’t be their first time. In his seven years in San Francisco, Shannahan has actually finished with six or fewer wins three times, and he could be staring down a fourth by the end of 2024.
It all starts with the uncertainty surrounding many of the players I mentioned previously. McCaffrey might be a force of nature, but he can’t help when he’s not healthy, and sadly, a preseason calf strain has put a damper on his outlook. Hopefully he can recover completely, but after what we saw with Joe Burrow last year, sometimes these things just don’t go how you expect.
That’s not even close to the end of the Niners’ issues either. Aiyuk is currently away from the team as he seeks a new contract, and so is Williams, though his dispute hasn’t been as public or noteworthy. The Niners could maybe get by without Aiyuk thanks to Samuel, Kittle, and first-round pick Ricky Pearsall, but without Williams? Hell to the no. This offensive line doesn’t have the horses to withstand that kind of loss.
Purdy has been a sensation since going from Mr. Irrelevant to Mr. Super-Duper Relevant, but in his brief time in the NFL, he’s only been surrounded by excellence. What happens when that’s not true anymore? What happens if his O-line fails him, McCaffrey isn’t regularly getting big gains, and Samuel isn’t the top target he needs? We might find out this year.
Seattle Seahawks
Notable Additions:
HC Mike Macdonald
SS Rayshawn Jenkins
ILB Jerome Baker
C Connor Williams
NT Jonathan Hankins
LG Laken Tomlinson
Notable Departures:
HC Pete Carroll
OG Damien Lewis
ILB Jordyn Brooks
TE Will Dissly
ILB Bobby Wagner
SS Quandre Diggs
Notable Rookies:
DE Byron Murphy (pick #16)
Best-Case: 11 - 5, 1st in the NFC West
Mike Macdonald has Seattle feeling itself again, and for good reason. The 37-year-old prodigy turned the Ravens from a middle-of-the-road defense to best-in-the-league in two years. The Legion of Boom is back!
That might be truer than we realize. Quietly, the Seahawks have amassed a very talented defensive line, and secondary, the bedrocks of the old Legion of Boom. It doesn't look the same, but the results, especially with Macdonald at the helm, could be.
Offensively, Geno Smith returns at QB, and though he’s not a star, he’s become a very reliable player in his 30s, and he has an extremely talented cast of skill position players to compliment him. D.K. Metcalf is a specimen of a wide receiver, while Tyler Lockett has averaged almost 80 receptions and over 1,000 yards for the last six seasons. Second-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a solid rookie season, adding another layer of depth to this offense.
The Seahawks are also deep at running back, where Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet form a highly-capable tandem. The Seahawks even have Noah Fant to provide some explosiveness at tight end. So long as Macdonald can continue to work his magic on defense, Seattle will have the balance that all contenders crave.
Worst-Case: 5 - 12, 4th in the NFC West
Sometimes, things get worse before they get better. Under Macdonald, that could be the case for the Seahawks in 2024. There’s plenty to get excited about with Seattle’s defense, but even with all their talent, they still only managed to finish 25th in points allowed and 30th in yards allowed. Macdonald might be a miracle-worker, but it might not happen overnight.
The offense is where more of the concern lies. Smith has had a renaissance in Seattle, but that second-lease on life in the NFL could be ending soon. After a breakout year in 2022 in which Smith led the NFL in completion percentage, his numbers fell across the board in 2023. If they fall further, the Seahawks are in serious trouble.
The talent around Smith may not be able to compensate for a drop-off either. The offensive line, which already had its issues, lost its best interior player in Damien Lewis. Lockett may have lost a step or two. Metcalf is highly-skilled but also highly-mercurial. Walker and Charbonnet may not have the same success behind a bottom-tier O-line. For two years, Smith has led a resurgent Seahawks offense, but in 2024, he could be a big reason it slips.
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