The NFC West’s season is complete, so it’s time to look into some offseason storylines surrounding the 49ers and their chief rivals.

The Rams were a big playoff disappointment

Their run was short lived after falling to the Falcons in the divisional round Saturday night, 26-13, being the only team representing the NFC West in the postseason.

Los Angeles had the league’s top scoring offense in Sean McVay’s first season tutoring 2016 first-overall pick Jared Goff. McVay’s question heading into the offseason: Which team are we, the one that was explosive throughout the regular season, or the one that stalled out against 6.5-point underdogs and scored 16 fewer points than our season average?

The Rams trajectory should be pointing up. They have a promising quarterback and coach tandem that most of the league would envy. But McVay is young – and so is his team. Constructively responding to the division crown and quick playoff exit will be difficult.

And that speaks to the state of the NFC West. It’s in flux and could see dramatic change this offseason with nine months before the Rams, Seahawks, Cardinals and 49ers play their next regular season games.

The Cardinals lost their coach and quarterback

Bruce Arians and Carson Palmer retired, leaving Arizona with a talented defense and questions surrounding the two most important positions in the organization. The defense is good enough to compete for a division crown – but finding a coach who can help pick the next quarterback is the mandate, first and foremost.

The Cardinals have the 15th pick in the NFL draft, which might be too low to land Baker Mayfield or Josh Allen – with Josh Rosen and Sam Darnold expected to be the first two quarterbacks taken. Arizona would be a sensible landing spot for Alex Smith, Kirk Cousins or Tyrod Taylor if they hit the open market.

The Cardinals might be inclined to take a chance on Heisman winner Lamar Jackson if they’re convinced he has the makings of a franchise quarterback. They could sensibly form an identity around a David Johnson-powered running game that plays to their defense, resembling what the Jaguars did this season.

No matter how it shakes out, the Cardinals are in for a dramatic facelift this with Palmer and Arians working on their golf games in 2018.

The Seahawks might be preparing for life after the Legion of Boom

Strong safety Kam Chancellor’s return from neck and spine injuries is in doubt. Richard Sherman suffered a torn Achilles after trade rumors swirled before the season. Earl Thomas, perhaps the best free safety in football, implored the Cowboys to ‘come get me’ following their late-season match up. Suffice to say, the window of one of the best secondaries we’ve ever seen might be closing.

Pete Carroll, 66, already batted away questions about retirement. And general manager John Schneider won’t be taking the Packers job that just went to internal candidate Brian Gutekunst. Seattle still has Russell Wilson – who threw his hat into MVP discussion before the 9-7 finish – and Bobby Wagner, a top candidate for defensive player of the year.

But they still have to figure out how to re-energize the running game. The draft is rich in running backs (and Carlos Hyde might become available). But the Seahawks’ bedrock has always been that defense. It could feature a slew of new faces next season.

The 49ers will have all offseason to deal with the burden of expectations

Kyle Shanahan made sure to reiterate his team hadn’t accomplished anything after winning five straight behind Jimmy Garoppolo to end the regular season as the hottest team in the NFL, playoff bound or otherwise.

“I know one thing is for sure: when we get to Phase 1 or when we get to OTAs that we won’t be the exact same as we were right now,” Shanahan said last week. “We will either be better or worse. The only way you get better is if you work. If we don’t, I promise you we’ll be worse.”

The 49ers are expected to be among the league-leaders in cap space and will pick ninth or 10th in the draft, depending on a coin flip at the combine with the Raiders. They should be an attractive destination now that they have one of the league’s most promising young quarterbacks working in Shanahan’s system.

San Francisco would be wise to lock up Garoppolo to a long-term deal, even if it makes him one of the highest paid players in football. Doling out a that kind of contract is a problem a number of teams would love to have.

Garoppolo will be coming back, regardless, which means the 49ers will be a trendy playoff pick next season… and they should be. But they’ll have to prove they can handle those type of expectations. After all, Joe Staley, Garrett Celek and pending free agents Daniel Kilgore and Eric Reid are the only players left from the last playoff run during the 2013 season.