Guest contributors: Jonathan Roberts & Joel Sigrist

In our last post, we broke down our predictions for how the AFC will shake out this season. Now it’s time to turn our attention to the other side of the league. In this second installment, I’m teaming up with my friends Joel and Jonathan to tackle the NFC division by division and share our early thoughts on how each team will fare. From contenders to rebuilds, surprise picks to bold calls, we’ve got plenty of takes to go around.

Now, without further ado, let’s jump in!

NFC West

Evan

1. San Francisco 49ers (12-5) [2nd seed]
2. Los Angeles Rams (10-7) [6th seed]
3. Seattle Seahawks (9-8) [9th seed]
4. Arizona Cardinals (6-11) [13th]

The NFC West is one of the most challenging divisions to predict this season. The 49ers, Rams, and Seahawks all have enough talent to make a playoff push, and if things break right, any of the three could come away with the division crown. That said, I have the 49ers leading the way. With their offensive core back at full strength and a solid draft class reinforcing their roster, they’re well positioned to return to form and reclaim their status as one of the NFC’s elite teams.

The Rams and Seahawks will both be in the mix for a Wild Card spot, but I give the edge to the Rams. They’ve built an exciting young core, and Matthew Stafford is still more than capable of leading a playoff-caliber offense. The Seahawks, by contrast, are in the early stages of reshaping their identity under new leadership. I wouldn’t be surprised if Sam Darnold’s success last season proves to be a bit of a fluke and we see him regress this season.

As for the Cardinals… they’re just kind of there. There’s some intriguing talent on the roster, but not enough depth to make any real noise. They might steal a game or two from better teams along the way, but don’t expect much more than that.

Jonathan

1. Seattle Seahawks (12-5) [3rd seed]
2. Arizona Cardinals (9-8) [8th seed]
3. San Francisco 49ers (9-8) [10th seed]
4. Los Angeles Rams (4-13) [13th seed]

I don’t love the addition of Sam Darnold, but he did show that he’s still a very capable quarterback these last two seasons in Minnesota… assuming, of course, that he has a few top-tier receivers to throw to. Luckily for him, JSN and Cooper Kupp are exactly that. They had an underrated draft and didn’t lose enough pieces in the offseason to write them off again.

Let me be clear when I say that I don’t think the Cardinals will be good, I think they will be volatile. That volatility, however, will likely result in a lot of stolen games with big plays while playing against the easiest strength of schedule, according to my final seeding. It still won’t be enough to earn a playoff berth, and the Cardinals will have a ton of questions in the 2026 offseason.

The 49ers have been devastated by free agency and plagued by the awful draft classes from 2018 to 2023. The contract they gave Brock Purdy didn’t help their ability to acquire talent, and I think this will be the season we really start to see the cracks in their franchise start to show.

The Rams reloaded some of their lost offensive weapons this offseason, but did nothing to address their weak defense. Their franchise is aging and will struggle to slow down even middling offenses.

Joel

1. Seattle Seahawks (12-5) [3rd seed]
2. Los Angeles Rams (11-6) [7th seed]
3. San Francisco 49ers (10-7) [9th]
4. Arizona Cardinals (9-8) [10th]

This is one of the strongest top-to-bottom divisions in the NFC, with all four of these teams capable of upsetting even the best rosters in football. That said, I’m leaning towards Seattle and LA to take the charge, with the Cardinals barely getting past .500 after an easy schedule early on.

The Seahawks had an elite defense down the second half last season under Mike McDonald, and then they spent the offseason adding talent like DeMarcus Lawrence, Nick Emmanwori, and several relevant depth pieces. Make no mistake, this will be an elite defense like we haven’t seen in Seattle since the Legion of Boom, and they’re going to win a number of games based on that alone. Is Sam Darnold a good quarterback? Whether he is or not, they spent five picks on offensive linemen, a tight end, and a fullback. They’re going to pound the rock. Ken Walker and Zach Charbonnet are going to be carrying the ball between the tackles a lot. And when they do throw it, JSN is an elite slot receiver and a fantastic safety valve for Darnold to find quick completions. This might not be an exciting team to watch, but it’ll get results, and the NFC West once again will run through Seattle.

The Rams are aging, and there are definite cracks in this roster. But Sean McVay got to add Davante Adams in the offseason to replace the shell of Cooper Kupp. Don’t get it twisted, that’s a significant upgrade. If Stafford stays healthy, throwing to Adams and Nacua will be the most fun he’s had since the 2021 Super Bowl run. The defense is middle of the pack, but if the offense stays healthy, that’s enough to get to double-digit wins and keep playing in January.

The 49ers have struggled to build a strong team and have been drafting poorly for years now. Even with that, there’s enough star power to push this team to double-digit wins; they just miss the playoffs on tiebreakers in my projections. Brock Purdy got a huge contract, and it’s one that I don’t think ages well, but Kittle and Aiyuk are still very good, and I like Ricky Pearsall to step up in the post-Deebo era. CMC is the lynchpin of this entire offense, though. If CMC and Trent Williams are both massive difference makers when they’re on the field, and they both appear much healthier coming into the 2025 season. If either of them misses significant time, Shanahan might be left scratching his head and missing January by even more.

Lastly, Arizona. I really don’t think this is a bad team anymore, and Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. do keep this team interesting on offense. They’re still a season (and a stable QB) away from seriously contending, but there’s some intriguing talent on both sides of the ball in Arizona. 

NFC East

Evan

1. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) [1st seed]
2. Washington Commanders (11-6) [5th seed]
3. Dallas Cowboys (7-10) [12th]
4. New York Giants (5-12) [14th]

Picking the Eagles to win the NFC East and claim the NFC’s top seed feels like the most obvious decision in the entire conference. They’re stacked with talent on both sides of the ball, well-coached, and still relatively young. There’s no reason to expect a step back this year; if anything, this season should be a continuation of the dominance they’ve shown in recent years.

The Commanders are a team on the rise. Jayden Daniels looks like a future star, and Washington has done a solid job surrounding him with pieces to succeed. While being in the same division as the Eagles limits their ceiling, they’re talented enough to grab a Wild Card spot and make some noise in the postseason.

This might come off as Cowboy-hating, and I’ll admit I’m guilty of that, but I just don’t see Dallas contending this season. Dak Prescott hasn’t proven he can elevate the team when it matters most, and with an aging core, a shaky run game, and mounting pressure from the fanbase, this feels like a team heading toward a reset rather than a playoff run.

The Giants are in for a rough year. There’s simply not enough talent on the roster to keep pace with the rest of the division, and having to face the NFC North only adds to the challenge. Giants fans might want to start looking ahead to the draft, cause it’s going to be a long season at MetLife.

Jonathan

1. Philadelphia Eagles (13-4) [2nd seed]
2. Washington Commanders (11-6) [6th seed]
3. Dallas Cowboys (9-8) [9th seed]
4. New York Giants (2-15) [16th seed]

The Eagles are an offensive powerhouse backed by a great secondary on defense. Losing Darius Slay will hurt their defense a bit, but their well-rounded offensive attack and solid coaching should be enough to claim the division title yet again.

The Commanders found a couple of underutilized weapons to add to their receiving corps this offseason, and should reap the reward. Unfortunately, the trades they made in the 2023 season will have a lingering effect on their defense, and especially their front seven. They’ll have to win a lot of shootouts this year, but I think they’ll do so quite a bit.

Tyler, Tyler, and Tyler highlight a new-look offensive line for the Cowboys that used to be a major strength of their franchise. Now with the regression of that line, uncertain tight end and running back rooms, and a defense that continues to get worse, it’s hard to see this franchise in the playoffs this season.

Jaxson Dart feels like a carbon copy of Daniel Jones in all the wrong ways, and with only Malik Nabers to highlight their offensive weaponry, it could be a very rough season. This team has been a disaster on both sides of the football, and a weak offseason doesn’t inspire any confidencethat  they won’t find themselves at the top of the draft.

Joel

1. Philadelphia Eagles (12-5) [2nd seed]
2. Washington Commanders (10-7) [8th]
3. Dallas Cowboys (6-11) [13th]
4. New York Giants (5-12) [15th]

Honestly, the Eagles might even be better than this. But everything went right for them in 2024, and it just can’t all go right again. Maybe Saquon or AJ Brown will miss time (both have significant injury histories), maybe Nick Sirianni loses the locker room a la 2023, or maybe there’s just a Super Bowl hangover that they can’t seem to shake early on. In my projections, it’s the third one, but the Eagles rally down the stretch and take the division, again setting themselves up well for a deep playoff run.

Washington will be sorely disappointed if they expect to be a serious Super Bowl contender again this season. It’s a good team, and they’re certainly ascending, but at the end of the day, this is a middle-of-the-pack defense with an offense that won’t convert 80% of 4th-down conversions again. They’ll make some noise, but ultimately be right on the edge of a playoff berth, and in my standings, just outside looking in. 

The Dallas Cowboys. Unfortunately, this isn’t a great organization anymore. Dak is a good QB, CeeDee Lamb is a great receiver, and Micah Parsons is a superstar. They’re investing a ton in the offensive line again, too. Those are all good things, but they’re still very thin after CeeDee Lamb, even with George Pickens added. Brian Schottenheimer won’t be a great head coach, and they’re banking on Javonte Williams to be their starting running back. Unless there’s some miraculous improvement on the defensive side, this is a team that loses a lot more than it wins.

Brian Daboll will be fired this year and be a pretty sought-after head coach immediately. The Giants simply haven’t built a good roster at all. I don’t mind Jaxson Dart, and there’s some upside with a young QB in town, but Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston won’t be great mentors, and there’s not much to throw to outside of Malik Nabers (who is a budding superstar if the team lets him be). Having a good coach with a bad roster on the hot seat will force some pretty dumb decisions in the QB room, and I just don’t see any way this works out for more than 6 or 7 wins at best.

NFC North

Evan 

1. Green Bay Packers (11-6) [3rd seed]
2. Detroit Lions (10-7) [7th seed]
3. Chicago Bears (10-7) [8th]
4. Minnesota Vikings (8-9) [10th]

In my opinion, the NFC North is the toughest division in the NFL to predict this season. The Lions are loaded with talent and have been in control of the division recently, but their postseason collapse and the loss of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson introduce real concerns about their ability to repeat. The Packers have an exciting young core and seem on the verge of breaking through, but Jordan Love’s inconsistent development and a still-maturing receiving corps leave some uncertainty. The Bears have done a great job building around Caleb Williams and could take a big leap forward. And while the Vikings have plenty of talent, the big question is whether rookie J.J. McCarthy is ready to lead an NFL offense.

That said, I’m picking the Packers to win the division — at least for now. Jordan Love has plenty of potential, and if Green Bay can continue developing him, that offense could be lethal, especially with the addition of rookie wideout Matthew Golden.

Even with my concerns, the Lions will be a good team and be able to capture a wild-card spot. Although we might begin to see conversations about the Lions needing someone besides Jared Goff for this team to win in the postseason.

The Bears are going to be right in the thick of the playoff race, and I have them just missing out due to a tiebreaker. They’re a year away, in my opinion, with Caleb Williams needing some time to settle into the pro game and learn Ben Johnson’s system before fully hitting his stride.

As for the Vikings, I’m not sold on J.J. McCarthy being the guy, at least not in year one. There’s a lot to like about the roster, but unless McCarthy exceeds expectations early, Minnesota will likely struggle to keep pace with the rest of the division.

Jonathan 

1. Detroit Lions (14-3) [1st seed]
2. Minnesota Vikings (12-5) [5th seed]
3. Green Bay Packers (11-6) [7th seed]
4. Chicago Bears (3-14) [14th seed]

The best NFC team from last season lost practically nothing to free agency, and the only reason to believe they’re destined for regression is a lack of belief that Goff could recreate what he did a year ago. I’m of the belief that any such regression will be well covered by their rounded offense and excellent coaching.

I don’t have high expectations for JJ McCarthy, but I felt very similarly about Sam Darnold, and he proved me wrong. The weapons on this team are still elite, and while I don’t see them winning 14 games again, I do expect another elite regular-season performance from a team that continues to surprise skeptics.

I’m a bit worried about their free agency losses, but the Packers are still a young and improving roster that should be able to punch their ticket to the playoffs. Matthew Golden looks like a good offensive addition and should help Jordan Love continue to develop en route to a difficult wildcard weekend.

Caleb Williams might be walking into the best situation of any number one overall draft selection of all t…. wait, that was supposed to be last season, wasn’t it? Their offseason was somewhat lackluster, and their young players didn’t show much sign of development late in the 2024 season.

Joel 

1. Detroit Lions (12-5) [1st seed]
2. Green Bay Packers (12-5) [5th seed]
3. Minnesota Vikings (10-7) [7th seed]
4. Chicago Bears (8-9) [11th]

The Lions losing Ben Johnson will have an impact on the offense, but Dan Campbell is the reason the Lions are a great team. Getting Aidan Hutchinson back will have a huge impact on the defense, too. The 2024 Lions were the best team in the NFC, despite having one of the most injury-plagued defenses in the league. They’ll be the top seed in the NFC, and they should have another deep playoff run. Let’s just see if they can finish the job.

Green Bay added some talent this offseason, with Golden added to the receiver room, the Packers have built a really deep core of talent around Jordan Love, and they’ll be rewarded for it. The secondary gives me some concerns, especially after Jaire Alexander’s release, but this offense will be enough to get Matt LaFleur back to the postseason again.

J.J. McCarthy is a polarizing player,  especially so for not playing any NFL snaps yet. But this is a great defense, and Kevin O’Connell turned Sam Darnold into a great passer last year, and McCarthy will slot right into the offense with ease. It’s hard to imagine this roster missing the playoffs, and Kevin O’Connell is a great head coach; 10-7 might even be conservative.

We will see how year 2 of Caleb Williams goes… Ben Johnson is a good hire, and they did add a lot to the offensive line in the offseason, hopefully stabilizing that group. Last season’s hype crashed and burned hard, but Caleb Williams had some bright moments, and the coaching staff is much, much better. Expectations are sky high, but for Chicago, an 8-9 season will be a smashing success, and a stepping stone to get the Bears back to relevance.

NFC South

Evan 

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7) [4th seed]
2. Atlanta Falcons (8-9) [11th]
3. Carolina Panthers (6-11) [13th]
4. New Orleans Saints (3-14) [16th]

Once again, the NFC South looks like the weakest division in the conference, and possibly the entire league. While a few teams have intriguing pieces, the overall quality just isn’t there, and the Saints are shaping up to be the worst of the bunch.

With Baker Mayfield leading the way and a strong supporting cast on offense, I expect the Buccaneers to take the division without too much trouble. They likely won’t make a deep playoff run, but they’re built well enough to handle this weak slate of opponents and put together a solid regular season.

The Falcons are tougher to figure out. They’ve got legitimate talent on offense, but I don’t think they’re consistent or complete enough to make a real postseason push just yet. As for the Panthers, they’ll take a step forward from last year’s disaster, but they’re still a rebuilding team with too many holes to compete for anything meaningful.

And then there’s the Saints, who I believe will finish with the worst record in the NFL. Their roster is aging, their offense lacks explosiveness, and I have no confidence in Tyler Shough to lead an NFL offense. I do like Kellen Moore as a long-term coaching option, but the first year of this rebuild is going to be rough.

Jonathan

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8) [4th seed]
2. Carolina Panthers (8-9) [11th seed]
3. Atlanta Falcons (8-9) [12th seed]
4. New Orleans Saints (3-14) [15th seed]

I still don’t believe in Baker, but they bolstered an already excellent receiving room with the addition of Egbuka in the draft, and have a passable enough defense to claim the top spot in the weakest division in the conference. 

The Panthers, like all other teams in this division, benefit from a very weak schedule and just enough big-play potential to steal a game or two. This team is still riddled with holes, so don’t take their record as a sign they’re close to a playoff berth.

Speaking of boom-or-bust teams, the Falcons may have the best offense and simultaneously the worst defense in their division. I see them really struggling to keep up with most opposing offenses, but a great 2026 offseason could give this team what it needs to compete next season.

Alvin Kamara is the last great player of a bygone era for a Saints roster that is practically devoid of positional depth. If it weren’t for a cupcake schedule, there would be no good reason to project them for anything but the 1.01 this year, yet here we are: just good enough to lose out on the Arch Manning Lottery.

Joel 

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8) [4th seed]
2. Atlanta Falcons (7-10) [12th]
3. Carolina Panthers (6-11) [14th]
4. New Orleans Saints (4-13) [16th]

Baker Mayfield is pretty solid, it’s hard to deny that after what he’s done the last couple of years in Tampa. Adding Egbuka in the draft bolstered what was already a good receiver room, and this will be a very good offense. Is the defense good? Not necessarily, but the division is worse, so Tampa finds itself playing meaningful games in January once again.

Atlanta better hope they’re better than this after what they did in the draft, trading away their 2026 1st for another pass rusher. I do like Michael Penix, and Drake London, Bijan, Kyle Pitts, and Darnell Mooney are a good core around him. This is going to finally be a pretty good offense, but there are enough defensive holes that they miss the postseason by a couple of games.

Carolina might be heading in the right direction, finally. Bryce Young showed some signs of life last season under Dave Canales, and adding Tetairoa McMillan seems like a good addition to support him. Unfortunately, they’ve swung and missed on enough recent offensive picks that this is still a pretty thin offense, and McMillan would need to be an immediate star for Carolina to make a playoff push.

Does even Kellen Moore think this is going to work? Tyler Shough isn’t going to be very good, and outside of Alvin Kamara, there’s really nothing exciting about this roster. The Saints continue to miss in the draft, and it’s a disappointing roster to start off for a guy who could otherwise be an exciting head coach.

Final playoff standings

Evan 

1. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
2. San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
3. Green Bay Packers (11-6)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
5. Washington Commanders (11-6)
6. Los Angeles Rams  (10-7)
7. Detroit Lions (10-7)

Jonathan 

1. Detroit Lions (14-3)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (13-4)
3. Seattle Seahawks (12-5)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8)
5. Minnesota Vikings (12-5)
6. Washington Commanders (11-6)
7. Green Bay Packers (11-6)

Joel 

1. Detroit Lions (12-5)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (12-5)
3. Seattle Seahawks (12-5)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8)
5. Green Bay Packers (12-5)
6. Los Angeles Rams (11-6)
7. Minnesota Vikings (10-7)

Thanks for sticking with us through another round of NFL predictions! We had a blast diving into the NFC with all its chaos, contenders, and question marks. Whether you agree with our takes or think we’re completely off the mark (looking at you, Cowboys fans), we’re glad you’re here.

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss what’s coming next. In our next installment, Joel, Jonathan, and I will shift gears to make our picks for this season’s NFL award winners and break down how we think the playoffs will shake out. You won’t want to miss it!