Even with the Los Angeles Rams trading for Myles Garrett, the Seattle Seahawks should be considered the team to beat until proven otherwise. Of course, that blockbuster deal just made the divisional race more complicated, but the defending Super Bowl champions are still at the top.
Notably, the Rams won't be the only team in the NFC West trying to challenge the Seahawks' authority. Now that they're mostly healthy and slightly improved, Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers will also be thirsty for revenge.
Of course, having Brock Purdy back to full strength has plenty to do with that. In fact, ESPN analyst Seth Walder believes that the former Mr. Irrelevant could be in for a career year, so much so that he could be an MVP candidate.
The Seattle Seahawks shouldn't fear Brock Purdy
"You can't argue with Purdy's numbers when he has been on the field. His 69.7 QBR over the past four seasons ranks second behind only Josh Allen," Walder wrote. "The Kyle Shanahan offense might be a hindrance to Purdy getting MVP votes, but one could make the same argument against Stafford with Sean McVay or Caleb Williams (the other QB I considered here) with Ben Johnson. And it didn't seem to hold the Rams QB back in last season's vote."
Purdy was a thorn in the Seahawks' side earlier in his career, winning the first five matchups vs. them. He's gone 1-3 since and 2-3 against them in the Mike Macdonald era, so the new head coach clearly has him more than figured out.
Last season, the Seahawks held Purdy to 544 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions in three games. He failed to pass for 200 yards and/or one touchdown in his final two games vs. Seattle, and that type of performance in the division will never allow him to even sniff an MVP trophy.
Purdy's reputation as the last pick of the NFL Draft used to make him a feel-good story, but it's now ammo for criticism. On top of the other team, he also has to battle skeptics and his own narrative to come close to an MVP award. Some might argue that he's not even the best quarterback on the 49ers' roster.
Truth be told, even Sam Darnold, who also has to shake off a negative reputation of his own, should be in a better position to win the MVP in 2026. If he takes better care of the football and the Seahawks continue their dominant run, that should definitely be on the table.
The 49ers may have added Mike Evans to the mix, but he may not move the needle that much at this point in his career. They couldn't figure out Aden Durde's defense last year, and with the way their quarterback has done against the Dark Side, it's hard to believe things will be much different this time around.
Purdy is a decent quarterback and, if healthy -- which is a massive 'if' -- the 49ers can certainly be a strong team. That said, there are levels to everything, and they're still looking up on the defending Super Bowl champions; it's not even close.
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