Can Seahawks Actually Win the NFC West in 2025?
With a fresh new quarterback, a young head coach in his second year, and more roster turnover than your local arcade, the big question is: can the Seattle Seahawks still manage to win the NFC West?
That is just as much a Seahawks question as it is one for the Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, and Los Angeles Rams.
Depending on where you look, that may seem like an odd question. Some have the Seahawks with the worst odds to win the division (FanDuel has them at +500, fourth out of four). They have not won the NFC West in five years and have won it just once since 2016.
The 49ers and Rams have dominated the division since 2020. The Rams have won the division twice since then, including a run to a Super Bowl title in the 2021 season. The 49ers won the division in the other two seasons and have reached the Super Bowl twice since 2019.
Looking at the Cardinals, while they have not won the NFC West since 2015, they look to be very feisty this season. Kyler Murray remains ever-talented under center. This is year two with him and touted receiving prospect Marvin Harrison Jr. They added Josh Sweat and Calais Campbell along the defensive line. Will Johnson was a highly-respected prospect at cornerback when Arizona took him in the second round of last April’s draft.
The Seahawks certainly have their work cut out for them in a wide open division where all four teams could be in the mix to climb to the top. Let’s dive into what is working for and against Mike Macdonald’s squad winning the NFC West:
Why the Seahawks Can Win the NFC West
For starters, the Seahawks should have the best defense in the division.
Last year, Seattle ranked atop the division in scoring defense and defensive EPA per play. With an additional year learning Mike Macdonald’s scheme, plus adding talents like Nick Emmanwori and DeMarcus Lawrence, along with a second year breakout from first round pick Byron Murphy II, this defense should only get better. It’s not hard to imagine Seattle being a top five defensive unit in all of football this season.
While defense certainly can carry a lot of the weight, the Seahawks will need other things to go right as well.
Sam Darnold is coming off of a massive career season with Minnesota. It might be unfair to expect 4,300 yards and 35 passing touchdowns again. However, if that season was more of Darnold finding a new gear in his NFL career instead of a pure anomaly, that bodes well for Seattle’s NFC West chances. If Darnold can be some high percentage amount of the version he was last year, the Seahawks could be good enough to win the NFC West.
The Seahawks parted with top receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett this offseason. That doesn’t mean Darnold is devoid of weapons, however. If Darnold plays well again, it will be partially because Jaxon Smith-Njigba built on his strong 2024 campaign. Cooper Kupp also needs to show he has something left in the tank.
All this is a moot point, however, if the offensive line is still bad. It’s not entirely unfair to say the chances of Seattle winning the division title hinge on the offensive line. There are a few things to suggest the line will be much improved.
Grey Zabel could be a home-run pick at left guard. The left side of the line with Charles Cross and Zabel should be in good shape. The health of Abe Lucas at right tackle is a big X-factor for the success of the line. If he is able to make it through the entire season and play like he did pre-injury, Seattle should be good to go in the trenches.
Along with things going right for the Seahawks, a few things need to go wrong with their division rivals. The 49ers are struggling to stay healthy. If that continues, they may have another season like last year’s disappointment. Matthew Stafford’s health is a big question mark for the Rams. If he can’t stay on the field, the Rams have a large uphill climb. The Cardinals have not quite been able to figure out how to get to that next level with Kyler Murray behind center. They could still be stuck in neutral for that reason.
Why the Seahawks Won’t Win the NFC West
Obviously, the opposite happening regarding the offensive line means Seattle has no shot at the division. The offensive line needs to be at least competent for them to compete. Seattle hasn’t had an offensive line rank better than 25th (via Pro Football Focus) since 2020. They have a lot to fix. Is it too much to fix for this season? Klint Kubiak wants to run the ball. If the Seahawks’ offensive line lets him down and struggles to open rushing lanes, this team will struggle in general to score points.
While it’s not fair to expect Darnold to be as good as he was with his full supporting cast in Minnesota, Seattle can’t afford for him to revert back to his old form either. If he struggles to take care of the ball or connect with his receivers, Seattle won’t get very far no matter how good the defense is.
The Rams and 49ers need less to go right for them to win the division than Seattle or Arizona. The 49ers are the odds-on favorites to win it, followed closely behind the Rams. Then there is a gap between them and the final pair. If all four teams have average luck with injuries and career-average production from their top players, it likely will be the Rams or 49ers on top.
In order to win in the NFL, you need to have a quarterback advantage most of time. With Matthew Stafford, Kyler Murray, and Brocky Purdy also in the division, Sam Darnold has his work cut out for him. If Stafford stays healthy, he is the best quarterback in the division.
