Who Are the Players to Watch in an NFC West Clash?

The Arizona Cardinals will take on the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC West Clash in Week Three of the 2025 NFL Season. The game will be played at Levi’s Stadium. This will be the Cardinals' second road game of the season and the 49ers' home opener. With this being a divisional matchup, there will be a plethora of players looking to make their mark to ensure that their teams come up with a win. So, who are these players? Let’s break them down.

Arizona Cardinals

Cornerback Kei’Trel Clark

When starting cornerback Garrett Williams went down with a knee injury in Arizona’s Week Two win over the Carolina Panthers, cornerback Kei’Trel Clark stepped in to fill his role as the nickelback. While Clark didn’t register any stats, he was still able to provide a key presence in helping the Cardinals stay undefeated through the first two weeks of the season. The third-year cornerback from Louisville has shown flashes of effectiveness, but has not seen a lot of playing time on the field. However, Williams’ knee injury ended up being worse than initially thought, as he was placed on injured reserve, with the hope of returning sometime this season. Along with Williams, starting cornerbacks Max Melton and Will Johnson each left with injuries at some point during Week Two, so Arizona’s cornerback room was hit hard. 

Luckily, the Cardinals were able to receive some good news, as Melton’s and Johnson’s injuries aren’t considered long-term. Melton is listed as questionable after undergoing a limited amount of practice, while Johnson is considered doubtful after not practicing all week. This now leaves the door open for other cornerbacks like Clark to step up in an ailing room. They’ll be needed especially this week, as Arizona begins NFC West Division play against a 49ers offense that looks to replicate their successes from their Week Two win over the New Orleans Saints. San Francisco has multiple receivers that can aid backup quarterback Mac Jones, so the Cardinals' defensive backs will need to be on point, including Clark.

Offensive Tackle Paris Johnson Jr.

One of the 49ers' key strengths in recent years has come from the defensive line, spearheaded by star pass rusher Nick Bosa. Especially with the re-addition of defensive coordinator Robert Salah, who helped lead San Francisco to the Super Bowl in 2023, the 49ers' defense looked to get back to its old, dominant ways. So far, San Francisco’s defense has been able to get the job done to keep itself undefeated. This week, the 49ers defense will look to make its presence felt against an Arizona team also looking to stay unbeaten.

The Cardinals' offensive line will need to hold its own when it comes to keeping quarterback Kyler Murray safe from San Francisco’s pressure, but one player will be tasked with the toughest assignment. Offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. will look to guard Murray’s blindside yet again, but now against a former All-Pro in Bosa. So far this season, Johnson Jr. has held his own, allowing no sacks, no QB hits, one pressure, and having only one penalty in 121 snaps. However, Johnson Jr.’s health may affect his play, as a knee injury has kept him limited in practice all week, leaving him with a questionable status for Sunday’s game. If the 2023 sixth overall pick does end up playing, he will look to hold his own against a player who has a sack in both of the 49ers' games thus far.

Defensive End Darius Robinson

In what has been an underwhelming campaign thus far for Arizona’s 27th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, defensive end Darius Robinson looks to find a way to finally break through on the Cardinals' defensive line. While his rookie season was delayed due to a calf injury, as he only played in Arizona’s final six games, it was less than ideal, as he only registered 10 total tackles, four solo tackles, and one sack. This season, Robinson has only registered one solo tackle in 86 snaps. It won’t get any easier for Robinson to make an impact, especially this week, considering he will go against three-time All-Pro Trent Williams for the majority of the time. Robinson will have to find ways to be effective; otherwise, he could be replaced sooner than he’d thought.

San Francisco 49ers

Quarterback Mac Jones

Jones once again earned a second week to be San Francisco’s starting quarterback, as starting quarterback Brock Purdy still nurses a turf toe and left shoulder injury. In his first game as the 49ers starter, Jones led San Francisco by throwing for 279 yards and three touchdowns en route to a 26-21 win over New Orleans on the road. The former 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft settled in to become the 49ers' backup this season, but was thrust into a starting role just two games in. Now, Jones looks to help San Francisco stay undefeated, as it opens up division play at home against the Cardinals. 

However, it does raise the question of whether Jones can keep his hot start going against a tougher Arizona defense. In his now-five-year career, Jones has only faced the Cardinals once, back in 2022 when he was with the New England Patriots. In that game, Jones helped give New England the road win by throwing for 235 yards. However, Jones wasn’t able to throw for a score and did end up throwing an interception as well. While it has been a couple of seasons since that game, Jones will now look to lead the 49ers to a division-opening win at home against Arizona on Sunday.

Defensive End Mykel Williams

While his teammate Bosa has already been making game-changing plays, San Francisco rookie defensive end Mykel Williams still chases his first career sack and first sack of the 2025 season. The 11th overall pick had only one tackle in his debut against the Seattle Seahawks, but picked it up in his second game against the Saints, as he recorded five total tackles, four solo tackles, and two tackles for a loss. While the 49ers have only registered four sacks this season, they’ll look to obtain more this week against a division opponent. Especially considering that this week’s quarterback, Murray, is prone to taking sacks, as New Orleans was able to bring him down five times in Week One. This game is lining up to be the perfect opportunity for Williams to get his first sack, especially with it being the home opener. 

Kicker Eddy Piñeiro

In a similar situation to Jones, kicker Eddy Piñero was added to San Francisco’s roster before its matchup against New Orleans after kicker Jake Moody was released due to his poor play. For Piñero, injuries have plagued his career since entering the league in 2018 as an undrafted free agent. However, when Piñero has played, he has proven himself to be a reliable weapon for the teams he played for, as he currently sits as the fourth most accurate kicker in NFL history, with a kicking percentage of 88.281%,113-out-of-128. In his first game with the 49ers, Piñero was able to convert both of his field goal attempts, with his longest being a 46-yarder. However, it wasn’t perfect for Piñero, as he was only able to convert two of his three extra point attempts, as he missed his first ever kick with San Francisco. Now, Piñero looks to continue to be a key piece for the 49ers by taking on the Cardinals on Sunday.