Open thread: How many teams will the NFC West put into the playoffs?

The Seattle Seahawks are expected to push for a playoff spot and potentially wrestle the NFC West title away from the San Francisco 49ers. Needless to say, season-long projections do not have either the Los Angeles Rams or Arizona Cardinals in playoff contention. And yet, crazy things happen and no one should be discounted... or even presumed for a postseason berth.

After being a pretty lousy division for most of the Mike Holmgren seasons, the NFC West has been a gauntlet more often than not. In the Pete Carroll era, only four times (2010, 2011, 2016, 2017) has the division failed to produce multiple playoff teams. The 49ers are favored to repeat as division champs this year, but there are question marks at quarterback over Brock Purdy’s health and ability to build on his surprise rookie campaign, not to mention the loss of defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans and some significant changes to the roster on defense. Kyle Shanahan’s teams either make a deep playoff run or cycle through QBs and finished with double-digit losses, with nothing in between. We know that Trey Lance won’t be a part of SF’s plans moving forward.

The Los Angeles Rams had damn near everyone hurt in 2022, and while they still have Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald, the cupboard’s a bit barer than the Super Bowl team of two seasons ago. This will be a real test of Sean McVay being at a substantial talent deficit (in theory) to begin a season for the first time in his head coaching career.

Then you have the Cardinals, whom even with Kyler Murray’s eventual return from his ACL injury probably don’t have the talent to win many games this season under first-year head coach Jonathan Gannon. They actually just traded Isaiah Simmons to the New York Giants, so the roster reshape continues.

We want to know what you think of the division and whether the Seahawks will A.) Make the playoffs and B.) Have any company alongside them in the NFC West.

Give us your thoughts in the comments section!