Arizona Cardinals fans know how competitive the NFC West is. Entering 2025, while the Los Angeles Rams are the favorite to win, really all four teams are expected to compete.
It has been considered the best division in the NFL many times.
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But what about entering the 2025 season?
NFL.com’s Eric Edholm put together divisional power rankings as we wait for NFL training camps to open
NFL divisional rankings: NFC West
The NFC West is not No. 1. It’s not even No. 2. It isn’t even in the top half, coming in at No. 5.
The West was tightly packed a year ago, with all four teams in playoff contention in mid-December. It’s also telling that the division’s worst team, six-win San Francisco, was viewed as something of a fluke, considering the 49ers had averaged nearly double that number of victories in the previous three seasons.
It’s a very solid division. You can make a case for all four teams having a playoff path in 2025. But how many have legitimate Super Bowl aspirations? That was one reason I stacked the NFC East ahead of the West.
OK, this is fair. The entire division is capable of winning it this year and making the postseason. But if we are talking Super Bowl contenders, even the Rams feel like a sleeper at best. This year’s 49ers team doesn’t pack the same punch as previous teams as they must replace several key defensive starters.
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The NFC North is not as good top to bottom, but it has a much higher ceiling. The NFC East has the higher top teams with Philly and Washington, while the Cowboys are a team like the Cardinals or Seahawks. The Giants are not going to be good.
So is it fair? Perhaps.
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: NFC West’s placement in NFL division power rankings revealed