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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. NFL training camps are in full swing, and as teams ease back into on-field drills and practices in the dead of the summer, football fans have a reason to rejoice.
The preseason officially begins when the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers face off in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, Aug. 6 on NBC. The rest of the first week of the preseason kicks off the following week on Aug. 13.
As the start of the NFL regular season inches closer (Sept. 9), we are continuing to look at key offseason storylines for each of the league’s 32 teams. We’ve already looked at the top position battles to watch, rookies with the best chance of winning a starting job, and the players in the most danger of being cut, and now we shift our focus to the coaches.
We’ve already ranked the top quarterback and wide receiver rooms by division, and next up, we’re power ranking the head coaches in each division. Next up is the NFC West.
I’m going to be honest — the only reason Sean McVay is No. 1 and not Kyle Shanahan is simply because the former has a Super Bowl ring and the latter doesn’t. In my opinion, Shanahan is the better coach and offensive play-caller, but McVay has a Lombardi trophy and Shanahan doesn’t
However, let’s not short McVay on his career accomplishments either. He’s got a 92-57 record, he’s made the playoffs in seven of nine seasons, he’s won four division titles, made three NFC Championship Game appearances, coached in two Super Bowls, and won one.
There’s a strong chance McVay has the Rams back in the Super Bowl again this season after trading for Myles Garrett and potentially talking three-time Defensive Player fo the Year Aaron Donald out of retirement.
It’s hard to believe after the run the 49ers have been on since 2019 that they haven’t won a Super Bowl yet. Shanahan has led San Francisco to five playoff appearances, four NFC Championship Game appearances, won three division titles, and made two Super Bowl appearances, but he’s come up short each time. With Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Mykel Williams all coming back healthy, one of the top running backs in the NFL in Christian McCaffrey, and a strong defense, the 49ers could make some noise in the playoffs again in 2026. It’s possible Shanahan will have to get past McVay at some point if San Francisco makes a deep playoff run.
Yes, Macdonald has a Super Bowl ring too and Shanahan doesn’t, but Macdonald is just two years into his coaching career, and he doesn’t have nearly the skins on the wall as Shanahan does. Not to mention Seattle’s Super Bowl run last year was fueled by some pretty historic play from the defense.
That said, Macdonald has a 24-10 record in two seasons with a Super Bowl championship. Most of the Seahawks’ core is coming back, including quarterback Sam Darnold, star WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and that vaunted defense, so there’s a chance Macdonald can close the gap between him and his peers rather quickly.
Poor Mike LaFleur. His brother is one of the top head coaches in the NFL, and fans will likely expect that same level of success out of him too. But LaFleur is walking into one of, if not the worst situation among first-year head coaches in Arizona.
The Cardinals are starting Jacoby Brissett at quarterback and their defense has a hard time stopping everybody. Rookie running back Jeremiyah Love and former top-10 WR Marvin Harrison Jr. are the only reasons to watch this team. LaFleur will be lucky to win three games next year. But on the bright side, he could walk into Year 2 with Arch manning, Dante Moore, or another stud college QB to build around.
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