Seahawks' losing their grip on NFC West after division rivals' offseason strikes

Let it be said that the toughest and most competitive division in football now belongs to the NFC West: home to the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, and Arizona Cardinals, and that is how the 2026-27 NFL season is expected to play out.

Arguments can be made for the AFC North (Steelers, Bengals, Ravens, Browns) or the NFC North (Packers, Lions, Bears, Vikings), but the division in the far Pacific West has the greater argument, and the last two years of football are evidence of that. 

Aside from the Cardinals, the Rams, Seahawks, and 49ers are expected to duel it out not just next season, but for many to come. However, just because the Seahawks took down the division on their way to a Super Bowl win, it doesn't guarantee they'll replicate that next season, possibly giving the Rams and 49ers the upper hand.

Seattle Seahawks' offseason moves may have removed their chances at another division title

It's not just free agency moves that have potentially moved the Rams and 49ers above the Seahawks; it's also via trade and thanks to the return of players who missed most of last season. The Rams made the big trade, and the 49ers should get some key defensive players back for next season. 

The Seahawks took some hits in free agency on defense (Riq Woolen, Boye Mafe, Coby Bryant), but suffered a major one in losing Kenneth Walker III. Considering the Seahawks have yet to replace Walker, the hole he left gets bigger each day. 

It's not that the Seahawks have completely lost the NFC West division entirely; it's just that what the Rams did in trading for elite All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, and also adding Jaylen Watson (both are former Kansas City Chiefs champions) to significantly upgrade a hurting defense, almost completely overshadows what the Seahawks did. 

Re-signing Rashid Shaheed was Seattle's biggest move to date, but other moves, such as bringing back Josh Jobe and Jake Bobo, and signing running back Emanuel Wilson, among others, do not strike fear in the way a McDuffie addition does. 

Then there's the 49ers, who made a big splash signing with Chris Evans at wide receiver, though his addition is not the most important one the 49ers will benefit from. It's the eventual return of future Hall of Fame players like Fred Warner and Nick Bosa. The 49ers went almost the entire 2025-26 season without them due to season-ending injuries. 

The 49ers also brought back Dre Greenlaw after a one-season stint with the Denver Broncos. There is no doubt that once fully healthy, the 49ers' defense will be elite once again, and that will be a problem for the Seahawks. Even with a depleted defense, the 49ers were still a playoff team with a 12-5 record. 

The Seahawks will go into next season as Super Bowl contenders, but their "favourites" headliner shouldn't be there solely because of the activity the Rams and 49ers have initiated so far this offseason. Unlike the 49ers, the Seahawks had health on their side last season, and there is no telling whether that advantage will be reversed next season. 

The Rams made big splashes. The 49ers expect significant player returns. The Seahawks aren't as complete as they were. There is still plenty of offseason time to change that, however. The expectation is for the Seahawks to address their running back situation soon. Whether that will make the NFC West favorites again, though, is unlikely. 

The Seahawks are the defending champions, but so far, the Rams and 49ers have won the offseason. We'll see how much winning among the three rivals occurs later in the year. No matter what, NFL fans are in for a fun division of football, and that's all we can ask for, no matter who comes out on top. The Seahawks, however, will be pushing for a repeat, though, of course.