The 49ers enter the season as slight favorites to win the NFC West but face closely matched rivals in Arizona, Seattle, and Los Angeles. Year-over-year improvements among the rivals create a potentially the toughest six-game division slate in the Kyle Shanahan era. The Arizona Cardinals can challenge San Francisco with an early-season Kyler Murray who excels before taking repeated hits, and with Jonathan Gannon’s defense designed to disrupt outside zone runs using a five-man front and Budda Baker as a free-roaming off-the-edge linebacker. Arizona also fields backfield and receiving talent including James Conner, Trey Benson, Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr., and an offensive line anchored by Paris Johnson.
We're just days away from the start of the NFL season, and the spirit of rivalry is in the air. With new rivalry uniforms in tow and just days from the first game and first NFC West matchup of the season, it had me thinking: How do the 49ers stack up with their division rivals? This might be the best division in football this season in 2025 you can easily convince me of any order, one through four, at the end of the season.
Arizona Cardinals Why the Cardinals can beat the 49ers Early season Kyler Murray The diminutive Cardinals quarterback is great at the beginning of seasons, but as soon as he takes a few hits, he fades, as he stops running and becomes a (diminutive) pocket passer. Will he turn in before Week 11? Built to kill Head coach Jonathan Gannon's defense was built to destroy outsize zone runs.
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