If you’re looking for the NFC West’s best offensive talent heading into 2026, the answers come fast. This division is loaded, and the four biggest names at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end are hard to argue with.
At quarterback, the choice is Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams. Three NFC West teams have had quarterbacks who drew MVP votes in recent years, but Stafford is the only one in the group who has actually won the award.
He did it last season after throwing for 4,707 yards, 46 touchdowns, and only 8 interceptions. His 109.2 QB rating was the best of his NFL career, and it came in the third season of his career with more than 40 touchdown passes.
The difference last year was obvious: for the first time, 40 touchdowns didn’t come with at least 16 interceptions. Stafford is one of the oldest quarterbacks in the league, but he still looks fully in command, and another MVP-level season is in play.
The running back spot goes to Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers, and that one doesn’t take long to explain. By the time his career is over, he’ll be in the conversation as one of the most versatile players the league has ever seen.
He’s not just useful in a few different ways; he’s elite as a runner, receiver, and returner when needed. Last season he earned 1st-team All-Pro honors while catching 102 passes and carrying the ball 311 times.
That kind of workload would break plenty of players, but McCaffrey keeps producing at a ridiculous level. He now has five NFL seasons with at least 1,800 yards from scrimmage, and three seasons over 2,000 yards from scrimmage, including last year.
He was a 1st-team All-Pro in all three of those 2,000-yard seasons.
At wide receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks gets the nod, even with Puka Nacua of the Rams right there in the mix. Smith-Njigba won NFL Offensive Player of the Year last season after a monster year: 119 catches, 1,793 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 15.1 yards per reception.
He was a nightmare to defend. What separates him is how cleanly he creates space and how dangerous he is down the field.
He moves with ease, wastes nothing, and still caught all those passes despite only five drops on 163 targets. His drop rate has gone down every season, and last year it hit a career-low 3.1 percent.
At 24, he looks like a player just getting started.
The tight end pick lands with Trey McBride of the Arizona Cardinals, which means every team in the division is represented. McBride may not be a secret anymore, but he can still get overshadowed in a division full of Super Bowl-level expectations.
Even so, he may be the best tight end in the NFL right now, and the Cardinals paid him like it with a four-year, $76 million deal worth $19 million per year. Over the last three seasons, he has averaged 108 receptions per 17 games played.
He has posted back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons and set a career high with 11 touchdown catches last year. He’s a difference-maker, and there’s no sign he’s backing off.
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The idea quickly ran into resistance from across town, and the fight escalated beyond a simple scheduling dispute. The Cardinals pushed the issue through the courts and asked for NFL intervention, but the challenge never got the traction they needed, and the move was eventually shelved. It was a reminder that even then, the franchises future could hinge on more than wins and losses. [Read more 🡒]