NFL 2025: NFC West Predictions

Last but certainly not least, my 2025-26 NFL Divisional Predictions continue and conclude with the always tough NFC West.

In recent years, the NFC West was sending two or three teams to the playoffs per year, winning a Super Bowl (Los Angeles Rams, Super Bowl 56) and representing the NFC in even more Super Bowls (San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowl 54, Super Bowl 58).

This year, the NFC West should still be strong and competitive, but overall, those years of the NFC West being a juggernaut may be over.

Part of that starts with the San Francisco 49ers: who still have the pieces to be contenders, but may have lost a step or two since their last elite season. Injuries surmounted last season for a 49ers team that had tons of promise. Christian McCaffrey is back in the fold to start the 2025-26 season, but Deebo Samuel is no longer with the team.

The Los Angeles Rams also may be a step shy of the best team they’ve fielded in the Matthew Stafford era (Super Bowl 56, obviously) but many of the key pieces are still there, and the Rams never stopped re-tooling to stay competitive. It will be weird to see the Rams offense without Cooper Kupp, but the emergence of Puka Nacua and the acquisition of veteran wide receiver Davante Adams should keep things afloat.

The Seattle Seahawks are a team in transition, after a successful run with Geno Smith at quarterback, Sam Darnold will be tasked with picking up the pieces. Darnold will have less help on paper too, with wide receiver DK Metcalf now catching passes from Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh.

Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals have shown flashes of potential brilliance over the last few seasons, but have seldom been able to string together success for very long. Marvin Harrison Jr. just might be one of the most exciting players in the division, but the second-year wide receiver can’t carry the team by himself.

How will the division play out in the 2025-26 season? Read on for my 2025-26 NFC West Predictions, and if you’d like to debate or discuss any predictions, join the conversation with @SakSports on Twitter/X, on Facebook, or by commenting directly on this post!

2025-26 NFL Predictions

AFC East, AFC North, AFC South, AFC West

NFC East, NFC North, NFC South, NFC West

1. Los Angeles Rams (11-6)

Last Year’s Prediction: 9-8, T-2nd Place NFC West

Last Year’s Actual: 10-7, T-1st Place NFC West (Won on tiebreakers)

The Los Angeles Rams won the NFC West by the skin of their teeth last season, finishing 10-7 for the second straight season.

Los Angeles might be getting better too, with last year’s first round pick Jared Verse coming off a Defensive Rookie of the Year award. The passing offense should be considered upgraded as well: even with long-time contributor Cooper Kupp leaving town, his role was limited (partially due to injury) last season. Puka Nacua was a blessing of a fifth round pick for the Rams in 2023, and this year’s new addition is veteran Davante Adams.

Insert Matthew Stafford at quarterback, 37 years old but still slinging it with the best of them, and head coach Sean McVay, who has made the playoffs in six of his eight seasons at head coach, and the Rams just might be the best bet to win the NFC West.

2. San Francisco 49ers (10-7)

Last Year’s Prediction: 13-4, 1st Place NFC West

Last Year’s Actual: 6-11, 4th Place NFC West

As mentioned, the San Francisco 49ers 2024-25 season was derailed by injuries, starting with All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey early and just getting worse from there.

The 49ers should start getting back to form this season, but San Francisco may have missed a “peak” year to contend. The 49ers lost Deebo Samuel (to a trade with the Commanders) and two defensive mainstays , linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga to the Denver Broncos. San Franciso also moved on from running back Jordan Mason, who was a steady hand in the absence of McCaffrey last season.

The 49ers still have a reliable Brock Purdy at quarterback, big-bodied George Kittle at tight end, and ferocious pass-rusher Nick Bosa on the defensive side of the ball. The wide receiver room still has talent without Samuel, albeit with some players dealing with early injuries or suspension.

San Francisco could easily win the division if they snap right back to that elite, 13+ win team we were used to for a couple of seasons. But right now, I have the 49ers finishing a respectable 10-7, which could be playoff-worthy.

3. Seattle Seahawks (7-10)

Last Year’s Prediction: 9-8, T-2nd Place NFC West

Last Year’s Actual: 10-7, T-1st Place NFC West (Wildcard)

The Seattle Seahawks have finished 9-8 or better in three straight seasons, and nearly won the division at 10-7 last season, in their first season under head coach Mike Macdonald.

But all three of those seasons, Geno Smith and DK Metcalf were on the roster.

2024-25 NFL Comeback Player of the Year finalist Sam Darnold takes over, after a highly successful one-year stint with the Minnesota Vikings. Darnold isn’t necessarily an upgrade or downgrade from Smith, but changing what works in the NFL can be tricky.

Darnold still has weapons without Metcalf: running back Kenneth Walker III, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and new arrivals of Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

Seattle lost some depth on the offensive line in free agency, which already wasn’t a strength.

The Seahawks could very well finish around 9-8 once again, but when handing out the NFL’s 272 wins there are to give, I unfortunately didn’t have enough to give Seattle a winning record.

4. Arizona Cardinals (5-12)

Last Year’s Prediction: 6-11, 4th Place NFC West

Last Year’s Actual: 8-9, 3rd Place NFC West

Segueing from the end of my Seahawks prediction, the Arizona Cardinals are probably a little bit better than the record I’m about to project for them, there just wasn’t enough success to spread around the NFL.

Arizona finished middle-of-the-pack offensively last season, and 21st in yards allowed per game, so just a bit below average defensively. Have the Cardinals made enough strides in the offseason to make a step forward?

Defensive first and second round picks Walter Nolen (DT) and Will Johnson (CB) should help the defense long-term, but the linebacking corps is still a concern.

Kyler Murray is entering his seventh season as an NFL starter, and has just one playoff start under his belt. To Murray’s credit, the NFC West has been consistently tough over the last six seasons.

Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. will be fun to watch, but the Cardinals are unfortunately my pick to finish last in the NFC West this season.

Previous NFC West Predictions

2023, 2022, 2021

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