Cardinals Rivals Named Losers of NFL Offseason

Did the Arizona Cardinals gain some ground on the San Francisco 49ers?

Dec 17, 2023; Glendale, Ariz, United States; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) congratulates San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) after losing 45-22 at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Chow-Arizona Republic / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY

ARIZONA -- The NFC West again projects to be one of the more interesting divisions in the NFL.

The San Francisco 49ers look to repeat as NFC champions after narrowly losing the Super Bowl while the Los Angeles Rams hope to again make the postseason. Other franchises in the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals were on the outside looking in for 2023, though fan bases are confident next season could change that.

As with other divisions, the NFC West saw players come and go over the last few months, though one outlet believes one Cardinals rival was a massive loser of the offseason.

"After a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, the 49ers had a relatively quiet offseason. They gave Christian McCaffrey an extension and drafted Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who might not be ready for prime time until 2025," wrote The Athletic's Mike Jones.

"The offensive line could’ve used a bolster, but John Lynch made no significant additions. Perhaps the most notable departure was defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, whose philosophies never quite meshed with those of Kyle Shanahan. Can first-year defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen reignite a defense that lost Armstead and Javon Kinlaw and added Leonard Floyd, Yetur Gross-Matos and Jordan Elliott?"

Not mentioned was the looming contract status of Brandon Aiyuk, who has yet to be either extended or traded. It appears his saga could drag through the summer.

The 49ers - with or without Aiyuk - are still a well-oiled machine and should be just fine, though it's tough to say they got significantly better over the offseason while the three other NFC West teams feel like they made strides.