The NFC West enters 2026 training camp with quarterback uncertainty in Arizona, a championship-sized roster in Los Angeles, major health questions in San Francisco and the pressure of a title defense in Seattle.
NFC West Training Camp Report: Key Injuries, Roster Questions and Camp Battles
SEO Title: NFC West Training Camp Report 2026: Injuries, Roster Battles and Storylines
SEO Description: A Sunday-desk look at the Cardinals, Rams, 49ers and Seahawks as training camp approaches, including injury statuses, contract questions, roster moves and position battles.
- Nick Bosa, 49ers — recovering from a torn ACL after missing 14 games in 2025; expected to be ready near the opening of camp.
- George Kittle, 49ers — working back from hamstring, ankle and Achilles injuries that limited him to six games last season; targeting a Week 1 return.
- Fred Warner, 49ers — cleared after a broken and dislocated ankle that cost him 11 games in 2025.
- Mykel Williams, 49ers — continuing his recovery from injury after the 2025 first-round pick missed time as a rookie.
- Christian McCaffrey, 49ers — healthy after handling an NFL-high and career-high 413 touches in 2025; workload management remains a camp priority.
- Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers — remains with the club but is on the reserve/left squad list.
- Tory Horton, Seahawks — returning from the shin injury that ended his rookie season.
- Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks — recovering from an ACL injury and is unlikely to be available for the start of the regular season.
Arizona faces a quarterback contract issue and a new offensive identity
Mike LaFleur’s first camp as Cardinals head coach will begin with attention fixed on Jacoby Brissett. Brissett replaced the injured Kyler Murray last season, held the starting job and is now seeking a contract that reflects his status as Arizona’s No. 1 quarterback.
The 33-year-old skipped voluntary offseason work before reporting for mandatory minicamp, avoiding fines but leaving questions about how much he participated on the field. Arizona could face either a holdout or a hold-in when camp opens. LaFleur has emphasized Brissett’s experience, but installing a new offense without the projected starter fully involved is an unwanted complication.
Brissett nevertheless supplied one of the few bright spots in a 3-14 season, throwing for a career-best 3,366 yards across 12 starts. Gardner Minshew and rookie Carson Beck remain on the roster, but Brissett is the leading candidate to open Week 1 under center after Murray’s departure.
The Cardinals also used the third overall pick on Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, making the 21-year-old the highest-paid running back in NFL history. Love arrives despite Arizona already retaining James Conner and signing Tyler Allgeier in free agency. The decision reflects Love’s rare upside, but it also leaves LaFleur to determine whether a rebuilding team should immediately place a heavy workload on its prized rookie.
Arizona needs greater production from recent first-round selections regardless of who starts at quarterback. Marvin Harrison Jr., Darius Robinson and Walter Nolen have combined to appear in 53 of a possible 85 games. Robinson has played 21 games over two seasons, while Nolen appeared in six as a rookie; together, the defensive linemen have four sacks and 12 starts.
Harrison has totaled 103 catches, 1,493 yards and 12 touchdowns in 29 games, but the former No. 4 overall selection has not yet met expectations attached to a top-five pick. With Murray and former coach Jonathan Gannon gone, the Cardinals are counting on their young core, led by Love and Harrison, to develop under LaFleur.
Rams build around Garrett while managing an all-in roster
The Rams made the offseason’s loudest defensive move by acquiring Myles Garrett, who arrives after setting the NFL single-season sack record with 23. Los Angeles sent Jared Verse, who had 7.5 sacks, to Cleveland in the deal.
Defensive coordinator Chris Shula must now fit Garrett into a front that already includes Byron Young, Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske. Young led the Rams with 12 sacks last season, Turner posted seven and Fiske added three, giving the group 22 combined sacks before Garrett’s arrival. Garrett recorded 51 sacks over the past three seasons while playing under Jim Schwartz in Cleveland, and Shula has said the Rams will allow him to do “what he does best” without abandoning the defense’s structure.
Los Angeles is chasing another Super Bowl, but its camp will include several potential distractions. Puka Nacua is approaching a possible market-setting extension after spending time in rehab, while rookie quarterback Ty Simpson remains unsigned. The Rams selected Simpson 13th overall, a surprising choice with Matthew Stafford returning for his age-38 season and Stetson Bennett also competing to be the backup.
Trade talk involving Davante Adams has cooled, and Los Angeles also strengthened its secondary by adding former Chiefs cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. The Rams will be watching whether those additions transition smoothly into a different defense.
Stafford, the reigning NFL MVP, powered the league’s top offense last year with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdown passes. Nacua led the NFL with 129 receptions, while Adams caught 60 passes and his 14 touchdown receptions led the league. No other Rams receiver had more than 18 catches, making depth an important camp concern.
Konata Mumpfield, Jordan Whittington and sixth-round rookie CJ Daniels are among the candidates to expand the receiver rotation. Los Angeles also has a deep tight end group in Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson and rookie Max Klare. Ferguson had only 11 catches as a rookie, but he and Parkinson could have larger roles as targets in the Rams’ heavy 13-personnel approach.
49ers need their stars back on the field
San Francisco reached the Divisional Round with a 12-5 record despite starters missing more than 50 games in 2025. The club’s ability to keep its core healthy will again shape its season.
Warner has been cleared, Bosa expects to be available around the start of camp, and Kittle is attempting to return for the opener. McCaffrey bounced back after missing 13 games in 2024, but his 413 touches last season underline the need for the 49ers to manage their most important offensive weapon carefully.
The receiving room has changed dramatically. San Francisco signed Mike Evans away from Tampa Bay, though Evans has missed 12 games over the past two seasons and turns 33 in August. Christian Kirk joins him, while former mainstays Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings have departed. Jennings signed late with Minnesota, and Samuel is a free agent after one year in Washington, leaving open the possibility of a reunion.
Aiyuk remains in the organization but is on the reserve/left squad list. The 49ers need 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall to move beyond prior injuries and emerge as a dependable contributor. Jacob Cowing, a 2024 fourth-rounder, and 2025 fourth-round pick Jordan Watkins also have an opening. Second-round rookie De’Zhaun Stribling, the team’s top selection this spring, profiles as a potential replacement for Samuel’s role in the offense.
On defense, Raheem Morris becomes San Francisco’s fifth defensive coordinator in five seasons. He follows Robert Saleh, who left to become Titans head coach after replacing 2024 coordinator Nick Sorensen. Before that, Steve Wilks served one season despite San Francisco ranking third in points allowed and eighth in yards allowed during its Super Bowl run.
The 49ers were a top-10 defense in both scoring and yardage from 2021 through 2023, including two seasons under DeMeco Ryans. They slipped to 20th in total defense last year and finished last in the NFL with only 20 sacks. Garrett alone produced 23 sacks for Cleveland.
Bosa’s return, Williams’ recovery and the trade addition of defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa could help rebuild the pass rush. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw is also back after losing last season in Denver. Rookie third-round edge rusher Romello Height has drawn encouraging early reviews, while Alfred Collins made a strong impression in his first year.
Seahawks begin title defense with backfield uncertainty
Seattle returns as Super Bowl champion after Sam Darnold led the club to the Lombardi Trophy in his first season with the franchise. The former third overall pick, now on his fourth NFL team, enters 2026 at age 29 with an opportunity to prove last season was the start of a sustained run and to position himself for a major extension.
Darnold will work under new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury, whose system is similar to the offense run by departed coordinator Klint Kubiak. Continuity at wide receiver should help. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is coming off an Offensive Player of the Year campaign in which he led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards, following a 2024 season with 100 catches and more than 1,100 yards.
Smith-Njigba received a new deal this offseason, but fellow 2023 first-round pick Devon Witherspoon has not yet been extended. Cooper Kupp, Jake Bobo and Rashid Shaheed remain part of the receiver group, with Shaheed expected to have a larger offensive role after re-signing in March. Horton’s return from a shin injury could add another downfield option and restore a playmaker in the return game.
Tight end AJ Barner is another player poised for a bigger role. Barner scored Seattle’s only offensive touchdown in the Super Bowl and finished his second season with 52 receptions, 519 yards and six scores. Continued chemistry with Darnold could put him in the Pro Bowl conversation.
Seattle’s largest offensive question is at running back. Kenneth Walker III signed with Kansas City, and Charbonnet’s ACL recovery could keep him out at the beginning of the season. First-round rookie Jadarian Price will receive immediate attention after averaging six yards per carry at Notre Dame, though he had only one game with more than 15 touches over 41 college appearances while playing behind Love.
The Seahawks previously favored a shared workload between Walker and Charbonnet, so Price may not be asked to operate as a traditional bell-cow runner. George Holani and Emanuel Wilson are among the backs who could earn meaningful roles. Shaheed may also be considered for selected rushing opportunities.
The offensive line, led by left tackle Charles Cross, and the receiver group remain Seattle’s strengths. But the defending champions need enough production from the backfield to preserve offensive balance.
Seattle retained much of its championship nucleus, but it lost Walker, outside linebacker Boye Mafe, cornerback Tariq Woolen and safety Coby Bryant. The right guard competition is also worth watching after Anthony Bradford started all 17 games in 2025 but posted a 51.9 overall PFF grade, ranking 70th among 81 guards with at least 300 snaps. Fifth-round rookie Beau Stephens could challenge for the job.
Week Ahead: What training camp will reveal
Arizona’s early practices should show whether Brissett is fully engaged in LaFleur’s new system and how quickly Love is incorporated alongside Conner and Allgeier. San Francisco will monitor Bosa’s availability at the start of camp and Kittle’s progress toward Week 1, while Warner enters camp cleared.
In Los Angeles, Garrett’s first work in Shula’s defense will be a central focus, as will the battle between Simpson and Bennett behind Stafford. Seattle’s camp will provide the first clear look at Price’s workload without Walker and with Charbonnet recovering, along with Horton’s return from his shin injury and the competition between Bradford and Stephens at right guard.
