The NFC West was, for a brief time, a powerhouse division in the NFL. Now it’s one that comes with pretty significant question marks for every team.
With just a couple weeks until training camp begins though, optimism is high. So, what would it look like if all of the questions around each NFC West team got answered in the affirmative?
Our NFL Wire editors for each team in the division got together and hashed out what a best-case scenario season would look like for every club:
Arizona Cardinals
Well, the best case might be a really bad season for some, as many believe 2023 is a tank job. So some would believe the best-case scenario would be to be the worst team in the league so they land the No. 1 pick in the draft.
But really the best-case scenario for Arizona in the first season with Jonathan Gannon as head coach and Monti Osenfort as general manager is a team that grows and competes. They maybe steal a win in the first few games of the season while quarterback Colt McCoy hold down the fort until Kyler Murray’s return from his knee injury.
The best-case scenario would see a reasonable return from Murray (let’s say Weeks 5-6), he returns to the level of play he had for much of 2020 and most of 2021. The defense seemingly devoid of talent begins jelling and the offense looks good with Murray back.
Even the most optimistic fan would find it hard to say the Cardinals can make the postseason even in a best-case scenario, but with Murray back in the lineup, maybe they go .500 when he plays and they get to 6-7 wins.
Los Angeles Rams
The best-case scenario for the Rams is probably a 10-win season and a relatively early exit in the playoffs. Unless the rest of the division just flat-out stinks – which, to be honest, is a possibility with the questions every team is facing – I don’t see the Rams winning the NFC West. The 49ers are too good on defense and at the skill spots and the Seahawks should be a playoff team again if Geno Smith comes close to repeating his 2022 performance. The Rams can beat up on the Cardinals and the other weaker teams on their schedule – which are really only the Colts, Commanders and maybe the Steelers – but it’s a tough slate they’re faced with this season. I think 10 wins might be their realistic ceiling.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers are constructed for a best-case scenario to turn into a Super Bowl. Health is the first box that gets checked. Quarterback Brock Purdy gets healthy for the start of the regular season and stays healthy for every game, including the playoffs. The same goes for tight end George Kittle and running back Christian McCaffrey. They’re the straws that stir the 49ers’ offensive drink. Purdy showed last year what he can do in Kyle Shanahan’s offense when surrounded by this group of weapons, and a fully healthy season from him where he ascends from his rookie season production could see San Francisco among the league leaders in points scored. On the defensive side they’re set to be dominant again with eight starters returning and game-wrecking defensive tackle Javon Hargrave added to the mix. If Hargrave jells with the 49ers defensive front the way they’re hoping, they could pair a top-five defense with a top-five offense en route to that elusive sixth Lombardi Trophy.
Seattle Seahawks
On paper Seattle appears to be a team on the rise. After going 7-10 in 2021 and missing out on the playoffs, the Seahawks traded Russell Wilson to the Broncos. Most analysts thought they would be in for a rough year, but the team responded with a surprising season, going 9-8 and earning a Wild Card spot. Thanks to the growth of Geno Smith and the extra draft capital that came in as part of the Wilson trade, this now looks like a potential contender in the NFC. To be sure, they are not ready to compete with the Eagles or the 49ers. However, if things go right they should be able to hang with every other team in the conference. An 11-6 record in the regular season and a trip to the divisional round of the playoffs should qualify as a good year.
