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NFC West: How Carson Palmer, Bruce Arians’ retirements shake up division in 2018

By Peter Panacy

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The NFC West looks to be vastly different in 2018, especially after the news Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians and quarterback Carson Palmer are retiring. Niner Noise explores how this shakes up the division and what it means for the San Francisco 49ers.

All it took was one terrible offseason for the San Francisco 49ers to go from NFC West division contender to the very bottom of the barrel.

Fans may recall the 2015 offseason, which saw the transition from the Jim Harbaugh era to one-and-done head coach Jim Tomsula, accompanied by a slew of players and assistants leaving San Francisco for greener pastures.

And it appears as if the Niners’ NFC West division rivals, the Arizona Cardinals, are hitting a similar point.

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    • Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians announced his retirement shortly after his team helped knock the Seattle Seahawks out of the playoff race, winning 26-24 in Week 17.

    Then on Tuesday, veteran quarterback Carson Palmer followed suit, announcing his own retirement after 14 years in the league.

    Niner Noise already broke down how the landscape of the NFC West appears to be changing after Seattle and, to a lesser extent, Arizona dominated the division in recent years. But this news shakes things up even more.

    Let’s take a look how.

    Cardinals Destined for a Massive Overhaul?

    Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald listed the Cardinals as one of the five teams with the worst salary cap situations heading into 2018.

    Palmer retiring frees up $14 million in cap space, according to Spotrac.com, which helps. But there are more than a few aging, expensive contracts still on the books. More importantly, the lack of an established quarterback puts even more pressure on the new regime to act accordingly this offseason.

    As we saw in 2014 and 2017 — years in which Palmer was lost to season-ending injuries — any Cardinals hopes for a deep playoff push all but evaporated.

    Plus, there’s growing concern, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald might not want to learn a new system and could potentially retire too:

    If this is the makings of a massive reset, the Cardinals may easily be in the basement of the NFC West for the foreseeable future.

    Seahawks Crumbling?

    Like Arizona, Seattle was another one of those five teams on Jason Fitzgerald’s worst-cap situation list.

    SEATTLE, WA – NOVEMBER 20: Cornerback Richard Sherman (R) of the Seattle Seahawks greets strong safety Kam Chancellor, both out with injuries, before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at CenturyLink Field on November 20, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
    SEATTLE, WA – NOVEMBER 20: Cornerback Richard Sherman (R) of the Seattle Seahawks greets strong safety Kam Chancellor, both out with injuries, before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at CenturyLink Field on November 20, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /

    After finishing 9-7 in 2017 and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2011, the Seahawks have some tough contractual decisions on the near horizon. Strong safety Kam Chancellor presents a tough situation, financially, and then there was the whole thing with free safety Earl Thomas and the Dallas Cowboys after Week 16.

    Other aging players, notably cornerback Richard Sherman and defensive end Michael Bennett, are older and becoming contract question marks.

    Simply put, the Seahawks need to have a home-run NFL Draft this April, as their cap situation likely means free agency won’t be an easy option.

    Seattle has nine picks in the upcoming draft, but only one of them — No. 18 overall — falls within the first three rounds.

    A massive fall is a bit of a reach, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see a Seahawks reload, if a complete rebuild looks a bit premature.

    49ers and Rams to Dominate the NFC West for the Next Two Years?

    The 49ers’ 6-10 finish after a 0-9 start to the season was pretty remarkable, to put things lightly.

    San Francisco now has what appears to be a franchise quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, and will own either the ninth or 10th overall pick (coin flip with the Oakland Raiders) in April’s draft. Combine that with nearly $115 million in cap space for next year, it’s safe to say an already-improving Niners roster should only get better in 2018.

    LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 31: Carlos Hyde #28 of the San Francisco 49ers eludes Bryce Hager #54, Isaiah Johnson #27 and Carlos Thompson #53 of the Los Angeles Rams during the second half of a game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 31, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
    LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 31: Carlos Hyde #28 of the San Francisco 49ers eludes Bryce Hager #54, Isaiah Johnson #27 and Carlos Thompson #53 of the Los Angeles Rams during the second half of a game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 31, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

    So much so, Bleacher Report’s Chris Simms tabbed the 49ers as a team that “vies for the NFC West crown” in 2018.

    The Niners could be there next year. The Los Angeles Rams already are.

    After finishing 2017 with an 11-5 record and NFC West title, the Rams are a great example of a young, up-and-coming team just reaching its zenith. Head coach Sean McVay has recaptured running back Todd Gurley’s rookie magic, making the talented back an MVP candidate.

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    And quarterback Jared Goff has gone from a draft-bust worry to a quality signal-caller in one short offseason.

    Combine that with defensive tackle Aaron Donald, and the Rams have what it takes to be good for a very, very long time.

    So it wouldn’t be a shock at all to see both the Niners and Rams atop the NFC West competition for the next couple of years. The Seahawks remain in contention, but they’ll need to figure out how to usher in the next phase of impact-quality players to replace aging vets.

    Next: Predicting what the NFC West will look like in 2018

    Meanwhile, the Cardinals could be starting from zero.