SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Seahawks’ path to the Vince Lombardi Trophy was far from easy.
The NFC West was the best division in the NFL by a large margin in 2025. Along with the Super Bowl champion Seahawks, it boasted the Los Angeles Rams, led by NFL MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford, and the San Francisco 49ers, coach Kyle Shanahan’s team that somehow won 12 games even through a rash of injuries to their best players.
The Seahawks, Rams and 49ers won a combined 38 regular-season games. That’s more victories than all four division teams in the AFC West, the NFC South or the NFC East managed in 2025. The trio of NFC West teams went 13-2 against the AFC.
Entering the 2026 season, the NFC West looks likely to remain one of the strongest divisions in football. The Rams and coach Sean McVay, who boasted the league’s top-scoring offense in 2025, will return several key contributors. Defensive end Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner, both former first-team All-Pro players, are expected back for the 49ers after season-ending injuries cost them 2025. And the Cardinals will have the No. 3 pick in the upcoming draft, potentially signaling the beginning of a new era in the desert.
As the Seahawks prepare to defend their crown in 2026, here’s a rundown of where their division rivals stand heading into next season.
Los Angeles Rams (12-5 in 2025)
Key free agents: TE Tyler Higbee, S Kamren Curl, CB Ahkello Witherspoon
Cap space: $48.21 million
Draft picks: 10 (Rd. 1 — pick 13; 1-29, 2-61, 3-93, 5-167, 6-206, 6-209, 7-232, 7-250, 7-256)
Los Angeles knows a key piece is returning for 2026. Stafford enjoyed one of the most productive seasons of his career in 2025, tossing a league-best 4,707 yards passing and a career-best 46 touchdowns on his way to the first MVP award of his distinguished career. And he’s already announced he will play an 18th NFL season in 2026.
Stafford’s top-two receivers are also still under contract in Los Angeles for next season: Puka Nacua, who caught a league-best 129 passes and was a finalist for NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and Davante Adams, the two-time first-team All-Pro wideout who caught a league-best 14 touchdowns during his first season with Stafford and McVay.
But Los Angeles’ core is getting older. Stafford will be 38 in 2026. Adams will be 34. Nacua is extension-eligible this offseason, along with defensive linemen Byron Young and Kobie Turner. Veteran right tackle Rob Havenstein, who spent his entire 11-year career with the Rams, announced his retirement Tuesday.
Along with replacing Havenstein and contemplating extensions for their young contributors, the Rams have questions about their defense. Particularly at cornerback. They also have to fix their special-teams units after an error-filled season. Perhaps most notably against the Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game, where a muffed punt by Xavier Smith led directly to Sam Darnold’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Jake Bobo.
But the Rams have a treasure trove of draft picks to reinforce their team, most notably the first-round draft pick (No. 13) they acquired during the 2025 NFL draft when the Atlanta Falcons traded up.
San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
Key free agents: WR Jauan Jennings, LG Spencer Burford, RB Brian Robinson Jr.
Cap space: $42.95 million
Draft picks: 7 (Rd. 1 — pick 27; 2-58, 3-92, 4-127, 4-133, 4-138, 5-171)
San Francisco’s 2025 season was ravaged by injuries nearly from the start. Bosa, the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, tore his right anterior cruciate ligament in Week 3. It’s the second season-ending ACL injury of his career after missing most of the 2020 season with a left ACL tear.
Warner, the star linebacker, suffered a fractured and dislocated ankle in Week 6. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, a 2023 second-team All-Pro selection, tore his ACL in Week 7. San Francisco general manager John Lynch said Aiyuk will not return to the 49ers in 2026 after the relationship dissolved.
Defensive end Mykel Williams, San Francisco’s 2025 first-round draft pick, tore his ACL in Week 9. George Kittle, the two-time first-team All-Pro tight end, tore his Achilles tendon against the Philadelphia Eagles during the wild-card round. Quarterback Brock Purdy missed eight of the 49ers’ first 10 games.
Yet the 49ers still scraped together a 12-win season, thanks in large part to running back Christian McCaffrey. He totaled 1,202 yards rushing, 924 yards receiving and 17 total touchdowns.
The 49ers hope to stay healthier in 2026, but — like the Rams — are another year older with a core that’s trying to recover from several devastating injuries. Kittle will turn 33 years old in 2026, while McCaffrey and Warner will reach their age-30 seasons. Left tackle Trent Williams, a 12-time Pro Bowler, will be 38 after announcing his return for 2026 in January.
More of the pressure will fall on Purdy, whose five-year, $265 million extension begins in 2026.
Arizona Cardinals (3-14)
Key free agents: RT Jonah Williams, S Jalen Thompson, DL Calais Campbell, RB Michael Carter, RG Will Hernandez
Cap space: $42.19 million
Draft picks: 7 (Rd. 1 — pick 3, 2-34, 3-65, 4-104, 5-14, 6-182, 7-217)
The Cardinals are at a crossroads. They hired coach Mike LaFleur on Feb. 1, bringing him in from the division-rival Rams, where he was the offensive coordinator for three seasons.
A larger question remains at quarterback. The Cardinals are reportedly seeking to trade quarterback Kyler Murray, the former Heisman Trophy winner who was limited to just five games in 2025 because of a foot injury. Murray is due a guaranteed $36.8 million in 2026, and part of his 2027 salary becomes guaranteed if he’s still on Arizona’s roster March 15.
Additionally, any hopes to pair LaFleur with a young quarterback might be stunted by the limited options available in the 2026 NFL draft.
Behind presumed top-pick Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, the quarterback options include Alabama’s Ty Simpson, Miami’s Carson Beck and Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, depending on the outcome of his petition to return for another season of college football.