As the NFC West knows, the Los Angeles Rams didn’t win the Super Bowl in 2025, but the team had a better year than the vast majority of the NFC. In that respect, the team has nothing to hang its head about. However, the Rams still have room to grow this season, which has given an obvious target for Sean McVay. To win the Super Bowl, the Rams will need to win their conference, and that starts by winning the divisional power rankings.
Nothing is set in stone, and the first eight weeks of the year will be the easiest window for the team to rise and fall. Here’s a look at where each of the four teams in the NFC West stand.
NFC West Power Rankings Leave Room for Improvement for Rams Heading into Preseason Week 2
#1 – Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl and kept most of their roster intact. As such, the team gets the nod heading into Week 1 as the team to chase in the division. However, losing running back Kenneth Walker III didn’t give the team a boost and might be the crack for the Rams to surge through in future weeks. Still, for now, Seattle sits on top.
#2 – Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams’ biggest worry for the season will be whether Matthew Stafford can maintain his 2025 mindset with his future successor sitting behind him. Plenty of star quarterbacks have met bumps in the road with their successor sitting behind them. Of course, in some cases like Aaron Rodgers after the Packers added Jordan Love, adding a successor too early could light a fire under the quarterback. The Rams will have to hope that Stafford falls under that category.
#3 – San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers have been no stranger to injuries. Even Kyle Shanahan found himself unable to coach after suffering a viral car accident. The ongoing power-station theory has not lost any momentum this offseason, either. However, the increasing age of the roster surrounding Brock Purdy hasn’t made things easier on a team slated to have 33-year-old Mike Evans lead the receiver room and 30-year-old Christian McCaffrey lead the running back room.
#4 – Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals might be on an upward trajectory with the addition of rookies Carson Beck and Jeremiyah Love. However, the offensive line appeared to be a problem for the team in Week 1 of the preseason, which could be what dooms Love ultimately, who has already been hit with a high ankle sprain, per Adam Schefter in a Sunday X post. With Jacoby Brissett also in line to start in Week 1 after coming off a 1-11 record in 2025, the immediate outlook is not the brightest.