The NFC West has its first preseason pecking order, and the Los Angeles Rams are right in the middle of it. Seattle is sitting at No. 1, the Rams are second, San Francisco comes in third, and Arizona rounds out the division at No. 4.
For the Rams, that’s a solid starting point, but not a final destination. The team didn’t win the Super Bowl in 2025, yet it still finished with a better year than most of the NFC.
That’s a fair place to be, but Sean McVay still has a clear climb ahead if the goal is to get back to the top of the league. If the Rams are going to win the Super Bowl, they’ll first have to win the conference, and that means working their way to the top of the division rankings.
The biggest question hanging over Los Angeles is Matthew Stafford. The concern isn’t talent - it’s whether he can keep the same 2025 mindset with his future successor waiting behind him.
That kind of setup has tripped up plenty of star quarterbacks before. At the same time, there are examples where it has had the opposite effect, like Aaron Rodgers after the Packers added Jordan Love.
The Rams are hoping Stafford responds that way.
Seattle, meanwhile, opens at No. 1 after winning the Super Bowl and keeping most of its roster together. That gives the Seahawks the edge heading into Week 1, even if losing running back Kenneth Walker III didn’t help their case. It may be the opening the Rams are looking for down the line, but for now Seattle is still the team to catch.
San Francisco lands behind Los Angeles, and the injury concerns around the 49ers are part of the reason. Kyle Shanahan has already dealt with his own health issue after suffering a viral car accident, and the “power-station theory” has continued to hang around this offseason. The roster around Brock Purdy is also getting older, with 33-year-old Mike Evans set to lead the receiver room and 30-year-old Christian McCaffrey at the front of the backfield.
Arizona sits at the bottom, though there is at least some reason for optimism with rookies Carson Beck and Jeremiyah Love joining the mix. Even so, the early signs haven’t been great.
The offensive line looked like a problem in Week 1 of the preseason, and Love has already been hit with a high ankle sprain, per Adam Schefter in a Sunday X post. Jacoby Brissett is also expected to start in Week 1 after finishing 2025 with a 1-11 record, which leaves the Cardinals with the least encouraging outlook in the division right now.
In Other News...
Rams Chargers Broadcast Moment Stole Attention From A Late Preseason Win
The Rams capped the final week of the preseason with a 20-18 win over the Chargers, but the result was only part of what people noticed on the broadcast. The exhibition featured the kind of mixed execution you usually expect in August, with Justin Herbert connecting on a 65-yard touchdown for the Chargers and Rams quarterbacks Ty Simpson and Matthew Caldwell answering with scoring drives of their own.
Darryl Peterson III helped swing the game when he forced the decisive fumble, yet the broadcast moment that lingered had nothing to do with the box score. An official was heard on an open microphone voicing frustration about how the game was unfolding, a stray snippet that briefly upstaged the on-field finish and gave a light preseason rivalry an extra dose of attention. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Fringe Players Made Final Roster Decisions A Lot Tougher
The Rams used their preseason finale against the Chargers as one last sorting exercise, and a few fringe players made sure the coaching staff had more to think about before final roster decisions. Ty Simpson got the start at quarterback and looked steady throughout the night, finishing 18 of 23 for 119 yards and a touchdown, while the offense also got a boost from a productive effort on the ground.
Connors helped keep the pressure on the decision-makers with 18 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown, and Darryl Peterson III added to his case on defense with several impact plays, capped by a sack-fumble late in the game. For players on the roster bubble, those kinds of snaps can linger in the minds of coaches, which is exactly what made this game feel like more than a preseason warmup. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Donald's Rams Return Suddenly Feels Far From Settled
Aaron Donalds status has become one of the quietest but most intriguing storylines around the Rams as the season approaches. Sean McVay has kept the door open, but he also made it clear there is no certainty the former star defensive tackle will come out of retirement this year, which leaves Los Angeles in a holding pattern on a player who shaped the franchise for a decade.
Andrew Whitworth, who knows the Rams inner workings as both a former teammate and current analyst, still sounds convinced Donald will be back later this year, pointing to his workouts as a sign the comeback remains alive. NFL insider Mike Florio, meanwhile, has suggested the Rams are already bracing for Donald not to be available in Week 1 and perhaps not until after that, which only adds to the sense that this one is far from settled. [Read more 🡒]