For most of the last few seasons, the NFC West has been marked by a tight battle between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams for divisional supremacy. While those teams figure to be key players in the playoff hunt down the stretch of the 2025 NFL season, they’re not the only teams with a serious chance to take the crown.
Last year, the NFC West saw two teams finish with double-digit win totals. Through an active offseason period and the return of key players from injury across the division, one could argue that any of the four teams has a chance to reach ten wins or more this season. Using data from the PFSN NFL Playoff Predictor, join us as we look at the current projections for the NFC West in 2025.
4) Seattle Seahawks
- Projected Win-Loss Record: 7.5-9.5
- Division Win Probability: 8.80%
- Playoff Probability: 21.60%
- Super Bowl Probability: 0.50%
Thanks to the strength of the Rams’ victory tiebreaker, the Seattle Seahawks didn’t win the NFC West last year, despite finishing with the same 10-7 record as Los Angeles. However, Seattle ended up not making the postseason at all, making them the only team with ten or more wins to miss the playoffs. There’s no denying that the roster looks different in 2025 than it did last year, but whether different means better remains to be seen.
Question: How do you feel about how you guys stack up to your rivals in the NFC West
Mike Macdonald: “Bro, I really don’t care”
That’s my coach 😭 pic.twitter.com/9MFFCE3cPH
— ᴅᴏxx ⚡️ (@new_era72) August 28, 2025
Gone are the likes of Geno Smith, DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Dre’Mont Jones. The Seahawks brought in Sam Darnold to be their new quarterback, surrounding him with additions like Cooper Kupp, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Grey Zabel in the process.
Unless Kupp stays healthy and Darnold retains the magic from his outlier 2024 season, Seattle figures to be worse at both quarterback and receiver. The offensive line remains a concern. The Seahawks are talented enough to hold their own in the NFC West, but expecting another 10-7 season might be wishful thinking.
3) Arizona Cardinals
- Projected Win-Loss Record: 9.1-7.9
- Division Win Probability: 27.00%
- Playoff Probability: 50.70%
- Super Bowl Probability: 2.50%
Last season, the Arizona Cardinals made a major step forward by improving to 8-9 after finishing 4-13 in 2023. Having been one of the more active teams in free agency this offseason, it seems like a safe bet to assume they’ll continue to improve their record in the coming season. Recently-added defenders like Josh Sweat, Walter Nolen, Calais Campbell, Akeem Davis-Gaither, and Will Johnson should help elevate their roster.
Cardinals’ defensive DVOA since Jonathan Gannon took over
2023: 32nd
2024: 14th
2025 projection: 7th— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) August 27, 2025
A lot of Arizona’s season will ride on the health of Kyler Murray, as he has remained healthy for every game since 2020. Coincidentally, they had their best year since 2021, which was the last time Murray had missed fewer than five games in a season. The Cardinals face a demanding NFC West divisional schedule, but even if they don’t win the division, they should contend for a playoff spot.
2) San Francisco 49ers
- Projected Win-Loss Record: 9.3-7.7
- Division Win Probability: 27.60%
- Playoff Probability: 53.20%
- Super Bowl Probability: 2.60%
Perhaps no NFL team disappointed more in 2024 than the 49ers. A year after winning the NFC and appearing in the Super Bowl, they went just 6-11 and finished at the bottom of the NFC West. Granted, they faced an insane amount of bad luck with injuries, and it doesn’t seem likely that the full scope of health issues should befall San Francisco again in 2025.
That said, the 49ers face a different problem this year: they’re extremely top-heavy. Between players like Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa, George Kittle, Trent Williams, Brock Purdy, and Brandon Aiyuk, they have as much star power as anybody else in the league.
However, they lost key contributors like Aaron Banks, Charvarius Ward, Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, and Deebo Samuel. San Francisco has serious holes on its roster, but a strong coaching staff and star value should bring them back near the top of the NFC West.
1) Los Angeles Rams
- Projected Win-Loss Record: 9.6-7.4
- Division Win Probability: 36.60%
- Playoff Probability: 62.20%
- Super Bowl Probability: 4.00%
Given how well the Rams looked down the stretch last year, it makes sense that they enter the 2025 season as favorites to repeat as NFC West champions. The only real concern is the health of quarterback Matthew Stafford, who is dealing with a lingering back injury going into the year. At 37 years old, there’s no guarantee he’ll be able to play at full strength through the pain.
Otherwise, the Rams project better on paper than they did last season. They replaced Cooper Kupp with Davante Adams, which figures to be an upgrade on an offense that already has Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams.
Their young, talented defensive line should only improve as time goes on, although the secondary is a concern. Los Angeles feels like the safest bet to win the NFC West, but the ceiling beyond that will likely be determined by how Stafford deals with his back problems.
