6. NFC West
1. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford is undoubtedly entering the twilight of his NFL career, but he’s still playing at a high enough level that the Rams are competing for championships. Stafford has been dealing with injuries for a long time but he’s extremely tough and still one of the best in the NFL. If he can stay on the field, the Rams can contend in the NFC.
2. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray has become about as streaky as any quarterback in the NFL, but on a given week, you have to expect that he’s going to be one of the most dynamic dual-threat players on the field. With the expected progression of players like Marvin Harrison Jr., Murray and the Cardinals offense should take another step forward this coming year, and if that happens, they might land Drew Petzing a head coaching gig.
3. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
I do think Brock Purdy is a bit unfairly typecast as a game manager who is just routinely carried by his teammates, but last season didn’t do him any favors. The 49ers are banking the entire future of the franchise on Purdy returning to his 2022/23 form, and if he can get there, he’s going to vault into everyone’s top-12.
4. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
I’m not going to say that Sam Darnold absolutely cannot keep things going from what we saw last year, but I’m skeptical. Darnold did so well playing in Minnesota’s offense under Kevin O’Connell, but he no longer has that same supporting cast around him. If he can be even close to what we saw last year in Minnesota, I’ll eat crow on this one.