NFC West 2025: 49ers Favored Amid Rams' Stafford Injury and Seahawks' Roster Shakeup

Oddsmakers are not confident in which team will win the NFC West in 2025. Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is currently dealing with a back injury that’s kept him out of practice and preseason games.

Now, the Rams are +200 to defend their 2024 division title, with the San Francisco 49ers jumping ahead as the betting favorites at +155. There’s a big drop-off between these two franchises, with the Arizona Cardinals at +425, followed by a revamped Seattle Seahawks roster at +500.

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The Rams and 49ers have each won the NFC West twice since 2021. Both teams won the NFC once, with Stafford leading Los Angeles to a 23-20 Super Bowl LVI win over Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. San Francisco lost in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs' All-Pro quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, and head coach Andy Reid during Super Bowl LVIII.

Seattle came up a half game shy of winning the 2024 NFC West title under first first-year head coach, Mike Macdonald. Now, Macdonald has a new QB1, Sam Darnold, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba will play alongside Cooper Kupp following DK Metcalf’s trade to Pittsburgh during free agency.

Kupp stayed within the NFC West division, leaving the Rams after an extremely productive career in Los Angeles. Seattle was ranked 11th in points allowed per game last season, but the offense only recorded 22.1 points per game with Geno Smith under center, ranked 18th in the league.

Arizona could wind up with the worst record in the 2025 NFC West standings. The Cardinals fell off a cliff after a 6-4 start in 2024, finishing their schedule with a 2-5 record.

Head coach Jonatha Gannon focused on defense this offseason. Arizona added four starters in free agency, including edge rusher Calais Campbell, defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, and 2021 Pro-Bowl linebacker, Josh Sweat, who Gannon previously coached as a defensive coordinator in Philadelphia.

Oddsmakers have set Arizona’s win total to 8.5, with -125 on over 8.5 total regular-season wins. This would be a one-game improvement from 2024.

Meanwhile, the Seahawks, with a new wide receiving corps and quarterback, have their 2025 regular season win total set to under 8.5 wins at -125. I believe Seattle winds up with a better record than Arizona based on depth, quarterback talent, and a slightly better defense.

Now, we’re down to the top two teams who have owned the NFC West for the past four seasons. The 49ers, despite dealing with key injuries at wide receiver and coming off a 6-11 campaign in 2024, are currently favored to win this division for the third time since 2022.

Fourth-year quarterback Brock Purdy still has an elite tandem of skilled position talent around him in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense, led by running back Christian McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle. The 49ers’ defense, which struggled mightily last season, ranked bottom four in opponent points per game, has Robert Saleh back as their defensive coordinator in 2025.

Saleh previously held this position under Shanahan during the team’s NFC title in 2019. He’ll reunite with LB Fred Warner and edge rusher Nick Bosa, which could spur this unit to return to its previous form.

Stafford has returned to the field for Los Angeles to gear up for the team’s Week 1 home game against the Houston Texans. The veteran gunslinger is attempting to play through his back issue, which has been the focal point of many injuries throughout Stafford’s career.

Kupp’s absence in the wide receiving corps has led to third-year wideout Puka Nacua getting help from another proven veteran, Davante Adams. Running back Kyren Williams just inked a contract extension, and the Rams’ front office spent a second-round draft pick on former Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson.

Edge rusher Jared Verse will look to lead the Los Angeles defense in 2025 after securing the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Poona Ford was added to the interior of the defensive line, along with an additional free agent acquisition with linebacker Nate Landman from Atlanta.

Based on scheduling and roster construction, I agree with oddsmakers and predict that the San Francisco 49ers will wind up winning the NFC West in 2025. Saleh’s return is a big factor, while Stafford’s durability concerns, combined with the absence of Kupp, have me a bit bearish on the Rams.

Unfortunately, neither the Seahawks nor the Cardinals will win the 2025 NFC West title. However, I do believe that Seattle winds up third in the division, with Arizona dropping to fourth based on a top-heavy offense that lacks depth in its backfield and wide receiving corps.