Everyone knew Mike Tomlin moving to the NBC studio would mean big quotables are on the way, and it’s fun to see that’s actually begun. When Tomlin suited up – literally – for his on-screen debut in the pregame show before the Hall of Fame game between the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers, he was asked what’s the toughest NFL division.

“That’s an easy one, I thought you had a tough one,” Tomlin said on the broadcast. “That’s the NFC West, man. It’s Game of Thrones out West. Everyone dies!”

Beyond the wide-eyed expression with which Mike T said it, his take was quite accurate. The Los Angeles Rams have the reigning MVP in quarterback Matthew Stafford, as well as Myles Garrett – the Sack Reaper himself. Add the possibility of defensive tackle Aaron Donald coming out of retirement, and the Rams aren’t just dangerous in their division, but also in the entire league. But don’t count the other three out just yet.

For the San Francisco 49ers, that Super Bowl LVIII loss against the Kansas City Chiefs still hurts. A year without playoffs (2024) and a divisional round exit against the Seattle Seahawks last season have done nothing to quell their hunger. They have the right weapons; their quarterback, Brock Purdy, has spent this offseason getting better inside the pocket. The only blip (a major one) in their team is the injury toll that is rising at training camp. If they can keep their core healthy, the Niners can continue their perennial playoff contention with ease.

Get The Huddle Newsletter. The day's biggest NFL stories — rivalries, matchups, expert analysis, power rankings, and insider draft news.

A 3-14 disaster of a season made the Arizona Cardinals hit the reset button, ushering in a new era under head coach Mike LaFleur. He brings a blueprint that helped the Rams be the best team on offense last season. Building around a young core, focusing on O-Line and run game improvements, the Cardinals have a lot to prove this season. Playing second-fiddle to Kyler Murray, quarterback Jacoby Brissett set the NFL record for most pass completions in a regular season game last November (47 of 57 passes). This year, he’s the presumed QB1, and he will work to prove last season’s fireworks weren’t a one-off.

As for the reigning Super Bowl champs Seattle Seahawks, they enter this season with the biggest target on their back. The loss of Super Bowl LX MVP running back Kenneth Walker will be the biggest challenge they’ll have to overcome this season, but Seattle has focused on keeping its core intact as much as possible. They have the highest-paid wide receiver in the league in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and with Rasheed Shahid and Cooper Kupp, their offensive trio is still as dangerous as ever.

Even quarterback Sam Darnold proved last season that he can effectively manage the game and let his offense create fireworks on the field. He led the league in turnovers last regular season, but that evaporated entirely in the postseason. Seattle saw that, and awarded him a 3-year, $100.5 million extension this March. The rest of the NFC West will be gunning for their throne, and they’re the team with the most to lose right now.

Coming back to Mike Tomlin, he still has the option to return to coaching if he wants to. But seeing how comfortable he looks in his new broadcasting role, he might just continue doing this for a long time. For everyone who missed his trademark ‘Tomlinisms’ in pressers, sidelines, and locker rooms, “the standard” has finally come to national television.

As for the NFC West, the former NFL coach is right on the money. This division needs to gear up for battles with the highest stakes. Beyond the first three months of the regular season, as Jon Snow once said, ‘Winter is coming; we know what’s coming with it.” The biggest question is how many of these four teams remain standing for January football.