The 2026 NFL offseason is in full swing with teams reporting for OTAs and the first on-field work of the summer months.
While there's still plenty of time between now and the start of the regular season, the vision for each team is pretty clear after teams made their major coaching changes, free agent signings, trades, and draft picks.
The NFC West should, once again, be one of the best all-around divisions in the NFL. While the West doesn't include four legitimate playoff contenders like the NFC North, this still might be the most competitive division in football. Last year, all of the 49ers, Rams, and Seahawks won 12 games apiece, and all three teams obviously made the playoffs.
With three legitimate Super Bowl contenders -- including the reigning Super Bowl champions -- how does this division stack up after all the moves made this offseason?
NFL Power Rankings: Rams take over top spot in NFC West in offseason rankings
4. Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are, quite obviously, the worst team in the NFC West entering the 2026 season. This is a team that obviously has a rookie head coach taking over in Mike LaFleur, whose familiarity with the rest of the coaches in the division could end up being a major asset in time, but a weakness early on.
LaFleur is inheriting a roster that certainly has some pieces, especially offensively, but the Cardinals just don't have the same type of star power and overall depth as the other teams in this division right now.
And unlike the rest of the teams in the division, the Cardinals lack clarity at the quarterback position as well.
Jacoby Brissett is currently holding out for more money, and the team's only option with future prospects is 3rd-round pick Carson Beck. With a young core of offensive skill players that includes Trey McBride (maybe the best TE in the NFL), Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, and now Jeremiyah Love, the Cardinals should at least be entertaining this season.
3. Seattle Seahawks
This is going to seem blasphemous and disrespectful, but I see the Seahawks as the 3rd-best team in the NFC West on paper as we get into the meat of the 2026 offseason.
And we're not trying to overthink things or get cute with these, but we're also not just giving the Seahawks the top spot because of what they did to the New England Patriots in February. Everyone has a clean slate. As much as the Seahawks deserve respect and recognition for having won the Super Bowl, there are things about this offseason that have undeniably made this team worse.
Losing Klint Kubiak as the offensive coordinator was massive. Losing defensive players like Riq Woolen, Coby Bryant, and Boye Mafe hurt. Letting Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker out the front door in NFL Free Agency with Zach Charbonnet still doesn't make sense, even with the arrival of Jadarian Price.
Keep in mind that this team nearly led the NFL in giveaways last season. They are going to be heavily reliant on Mike Macdonald's scheme defensively to keep the floor for the team high. And it is. Even as the 3rd-ranked team in the division, and even with everything we've mentioned, we still expect the Seahawks to win 11 or 12 games this season and contend for the division title.
2. San Francisco 49ers
What we saw from the 49ers last season was nothing short of incredible. The fact that this team had so many injuries going on, and so many key absences throughout the course of the season, you really would have never known.
The 49ers won 12 games despite the fact that they ranked dead last in the NFL in sacks.
The departure of Robert Saleh is once again a big one for the 49ers, but Raheem Morris knows what he's doing and will have Nick Bosa back to terrorize QBs off the edge. The Niners also brought back Dre Greenlaw and traded for interior lineman Osa Odighizuwa, so that defense should be in top form right away this season.
The biggest question marks with the 49ers are on offense, but even with the personnel dealing with injuries, they ranked 10th in the NFL in points scored. Kyle Shanahan is one of the elite offensive minds in the NFL, and knows how to maximize whatever personnel he's got on the field.
The 49ers will be tough once again this season, and title contenders in the NFC West.
1. Los Angeles Rams
Because the offseason is about evaluating teams on paper, there is simply no roster better in the NFC, maybe the entire NFL, than the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams' only misstep this offseason may have been selecting Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick, but only because they could have added another player to help the team in the offensive weapons department.
We'll see how the distant future plays out with Simpson, but the immediate future for the Rams is very bright.
They brought in Trent McDuffie to address their biggest roster need this offseason at cornerback, and also brought in his old pal from Kansas City -- Jaylen Watson -- to fortify the defensive backfield.
Adding those two players to an already loaded defense should give the Rams their best shot to win a Super Bowl since they won it all back in the 2021 season.
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