The NFC West is shaping up to be a fierce battleground. The Arizona Cardinals lead the division with a 5-4 record, closely followed by the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers at 4-4, while the Seattle Seahawks trail at 4-5. The second half of the season promises an exciting race to the top among these four teams.
NFL Network's Kurt Warner joined The Rich Eisen Show this week to share his prediction on how the division might play out.
"I'm going to lean towards San Francisco [coming out on top], just because I've seen their guys, I've seen the consistency by which they play," Warner said.
The 49ers expect several key players to return from injuries in the second half, with running back Christian McCaffrey likely making his season debut this weekend against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Additionally, practice windows have opened for defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos and offensive lineman Jon Feliciano. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who tore his Achilles in February, could also be nearing a return.
"If they get healthy and can get back to some semblance of that, that's the team, from a consistency standpoint, that I lean towards," Warner continued.
Warner noted that the Rams, with Matthew Stafford at quarterback, are always a threat late in games but have struggled with inconsistency, making them a risky pick for the division title. He shared similar concerns about the Cardinals, describing quarterback Kyler Murray and Arizona's defense as "a rollercoaster ride."
Considering his choice of the 49ers for the division winner, Warner added, "It probably has nothing to do with what San Francisco has really done this year as much as knowing those names, knowing they've been there, getting those guys healthy. I just believe there's going to be more level of consistency with the 49ers down the stretch than I can expect from those other two teams."