National Football League

NFC West Stock Watch: Matthew Stafford on the rise, Trey Lance trending down

Updated Sep. 7, 2022 5:07 p.m. ET

By Eric D. Williams
FOX Sports NFL Writer

Of the four teams in the NFC West, two of them have quarterback situations that are settled in Matthew Stafford with the Los Angeles Rams and Kyler Murray with the Arizona Cardinals. But the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks have quarterback rooms that could be in flux during the regular season.

The Seahawks moved on from the best QB in team history (Russell Wilson) to one who has not started a season opener since 2014 (Geno Smith). The Niners switched from a quarterback who took them to a Super Bowl and two NFC Championship games (Jimmy Garoppolo) to one who has started a combined 19 games since high school (Trey Lance).

But then the Niners brought Garoppolo back after they couldn’t find any takers in a trade for the signal-caller rehabbing a balky shoulder.

The wobbly quarterback situations in the Pacific Northwest and the Bay Area kick off our first NFC West Stock Watch, where we take a closer look at players rising and falling heading into the opening week of the regular season.

Rising

Rams QB Matthew Stafford: A lot has already been written about the 34-year-old veteran’s tender elbow. Stafford did not throw during the offseason and received an injection in his elbow to help with the pain. He was on a pitch count during training camp, limiting his throws to mostly individual work.

But heading into Thursday's contest against the Buffalo Bills, both Stafford and coach Sean McVay say the QB has no limitations, and he looked like himself throwing the ball when I attended practice this week. All appears good for now. According to McVay, Stafford played through the issue last season. Still, his elbow bears monitoring during the marathon season. For now, Stafford being healthy to start the year is good news for the defending Super Bowl champs.

49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk: Aiyuk was reportedly one of the stars during training camp for the Niners, developing a rapport with new starting QB Trey Lance. A first-round selection in the 2020 draft out of Arizona State, Aiyuk totaled 52 receptions for 820 receiving yards and four touchdowns from Week 8 through the playoffs last season.

Deebo Samuel and George Kittle are expected to carry the receiving load once again for San Francisco, but Aiyuk gives the Niners another pass-catcher who can make plays over the middle of the field and win contested balls.

Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson: The 24-year-old safety out of Washington State recently inked a three-year, $40 million deal with Arizona. Thompson is developing into a leader defensively, and he pairs with Budda Baker to give the Cardinals one of the better safety tandems in the NFL. Thompson showed playmaking ability last season, finishing with 121 combined tackles, three interceptions and seven pass breakups.

During training camp, he was one of the Arizona defenders who served as a defensive playcaller, a job that ultimately went to fellow defensive back Isaiah Simmons. With veterans Chandler Jones and Jordan Hicks gone, the Cardinals need Thompson to emerge as one of the leaders on defense.

Falling

49ers QB Trey Lance: According to Sports Illustrated, Lance wasn't thrilled with the news that Garoppolo is staying with the Niners on a restructured deal. That’s understandable, considering head coach Kyle Shanahan has been saying all offseason that Lance is the starter, only to have the quarterback he's replacing remain on the roster. It’s not an ideal situation for a young quarterback to fully develop.

Should Trey Lance be "annoyed" by Jimmy G's return?

Chris Broussard explains why Trey Lance has a right to be bothered by the 49ers keeping former starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo on the roster.

Shanahan says Lance is a confident, smart QB who can handle the situation. But I’m not sure this approach will fully optimize San Francisco’s investment, both financially and in draft capital. Young quarterbacks need a long runway to develop and make mistakes. As an example, Russell Wilson played uneven his rookie season and the Seahawks started 4-4, generating calls to replace him with journeyman Matt Flynn. Pete Carroll weathered the storm, and the rest is history.

If the Niners start slowly, I can only imagine the pressure Lance will face with a roster built to win a Super Bowl that includes a backup quarterback who took them there. Lance needs to win games early to gain the trust of his teammates and the organization.

Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins: The Cardinals will have to do without their best receiver for six games, with Hopkins starting his suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs. It’s a significant loss. Hopkins missed eight games due to injury last season, including Arizona's playoff loss to the Rams. With Hopkins, the Cardinals averaged 30.2 points per game and posted an 8-2 record. Without Hopkins, they scored 19.8 points per game and finished 3-5.

It’s fair to say the Cardinals need receivers Rondale Moore and Marquise Brown to play big roles the first part of the regular season. Arizona plays four playoff teams in the first six weeks: the Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, Rams and Philadelphia Eagles. The Cardinals could be digging themselves out of a hole in the NFC West if they can’t figure out how to generate consistent offense without Hopkins.

Seahawks QB Geno Smith: The winner of a quarterback competition with Drew Lock, Smith has big shoes to fill now that Wilson is with the Denver Broncos. Wilson returns to face his former team at Lumen Field in a nationally televised game on Monday Night Football. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll chose Smith because of his knowledge of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s scheme and the QB's ability to take care of the football.

To remain the starter, Smith must consistently put the ball into the end zone for the Seahawks to compete in the highly competitive NFC West. The Seahawks had the 20th-ranked offense last season, their worst ranking since 2011. Smith finished 1-2 as a starter last year, and Seattle averaged 20 points in those games. While it will be important for Smith to take care of the football, he also must create explosive plays and scoring opportunities for his offense.

Eric D. Williams is an NFL writer for FOX Sports. He has covered the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter @eric_d_williams.