The San Francisco 49ers advanced to the Super Bowl, but they might have the most uncertainty at quarterback among the four NFC West teams.
With the 49ers continuing to be in win-now mode, many are connecting them to soon-to-be free agent Kirk Cousins, despite receiving promising postseason performances from Brock Purdy. The Kansas City Chiefs bested the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII partly because they had Patrick Mahomes on their side.
But the 49ers should stick with Purdy and prioritize one of his top playmakers who’s due for a contract extension.
The Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams appear content with Kyler Murray and Matthew Stafford, respectively, but they need to add more talent to the roster. The Seattle Seahawks will likely stick with Geno Smith after guaranteeing his $12.7 million base salary for 2024. Seattle has bigger problems on the defensive side.
Here’s one move every NFC West team should make this offseason.
Arizona Cardinals
One move they should make: Draft Marvin Harrison Jr.
The Cardinals showed plenty of fight in 2023 and recorded impressive wins against the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers. By being competitive, the Cardinals missed on a top-three draft pick, but they’re still in a good position with the fourth pick to select wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who’s regarded as the best overall draft prospect in the ’24 class. The owners of the top three picks—the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and New England Patriots—all have quarterback needs and could select signal-callers Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels, in no particular order. Harrison could make an immediate impact with Murray and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, who impressed many with his play calls and designs last season.
