Thank goodness no Warner

[KC kid]

WARNER, AGENT NOT ON SAME PAGE
Posted by Mike Florio on February 5, 2009, 8:23 a.m.
Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner has been saying that he’ll play for Arizona or no one in 2009.

Indeed, earlier this week, Warner sounded like he was seriously thinking about calling it quits.

“When I was down at the Super Bowl, I read an article on the front page talking about concussions and hits that you take as a football player and how that affects you in the long term,” Warner told XTRA Sports 910. “And so you can step back from that and say, ‘Man, I’m 37, I’ve had a tremendous career, I’ve played in three Super Bowl, you know, I haven’t sustained any major injuries. Man, it’d be good to be able to walk away and not worry about that stuff and live my life.’”

Warner also said that high expectations also take the fun out of the game for him.

“That part gets hard,” he said.

But he said that he won’t make a hasty decision. “I think there’s a lot of things that lean in both directions. . . . But I just feel that God’s getting me closer and closer to the end. And, you know, I don’t know what that means. I don’t know if it means a week from now or two years from now or four years from now. . . . I really just don’t know at this time, and you know that’s all I can really say.”

Warner’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, surely realizes that this kind of talk will reduce Warner’s leverage with the Cardinals, since it will keep other teams from contacting Bartelstein over the next few weeks to gauge, hypothetically, the kind of contract that Warner would want.

(Sure, teams technically are prohibited from talking to agents before February 27 about players who won’t become free agents until then. But it happens every year at this time, and it’s rare that any team gets busted for it.)

And so Bartelstein is now trying to throw water on talk that Warner would actually retire.

“I don’t think people should read too much into it,” Bartelstein told the East Valley Tribune. “He loves to play. He hasn’t lost any of his competitiveness or fire for the game.”

Bartelstein, who said that he and Warner “talked all year” about playing in 2009, attributed Warner’s musings about retirement as a function of age.

“It’s a grueling, brutal sport,” Bartelstein said. “Any player in his 30s . . . wants to make sure he’s doing things for all the right reasons.”

As we see it, there’s also a chance that Warner has a little of that Favre/Roethlisberger drama queen in his personality. After a horrible game in September against the Jets, during which Warner coughed the ball up six times and threw the garbage-time pass that resulted in Anquan Boldin’s broken face, Warner reportedly thought about calling it quits then and there.

So, yeah, he’ll likely play again. And if the Cardinals aren’t willing to step up, and if other teams are willing to offer something in the range of three years and $36 million, Warner could be persuaded to finish his career in another city.

The challenge for Bartelstein is to convince those other teams that Warner’s alternative to playing for the Cardinals isn’t retirement, but heading to a new city.

[Hootie]

yeah thank God one of the best QB's in the NFL won't be a Chief!

[talastan]

Originally Posted by Hootie

yeah thank God one of the best QB's in the NFL won't be a Chief!

I do agree that he is one of the best. My concern would be what real benefit could he bring to the future of the franchise. Yes we'd have the QB position locked down for 1-2 years but we probably won't even be in position to compete for a championship by then. Clark has also stated he wants KC to have its own homegrown QBotF.

[R&GHomer]

Warner would be stupid to play anywhere other than Arizona at this point.

[KC kid]

he is old as hell and will only stunt the growth of whatever qb we get when we are ready to contend in 3 years

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by talastan

I do agree that he is one of the best. My concern would be what real benefit could he bring to the future of the franchise. Yes we'd have the QB position locked down for 1-2 years but we probably won't even be in position to compete for a championship by then. Clark has also stated he wants KC to have its own homegrown QBotF.

It seemed to work out OK with Joe Montana in the early 90's. Of course, the plan was screwed up a bit when the Chiefs followed Montana up with Bono and then Grbac, but despite those major gaffes, they went 13-3 twice in the 3 years following Montana's retirement. Imagine what might have been if they'd been able to groom or find a high quality replacement during the two years that Montana was in the red and gold.

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by talastan

I do agree that he is one of the best. My concern would be what real benefit could he bring to the future of the franchise. Yes we'd have the QB position locked down for 1-2 years but we probably won't even be in position to compete for a championship by then. Clark has also stated he wants KC to have its own homegrown QBotF.

If we signed Warner, we could take Sanchez at #3...Warner would GLADLY take him under his wings for two years and then retire...I'd be 1 BILLION PERCENT for that.

[Sure-Oz]

Warner won't leave ARZ with that WR trio or tandem...

[talastan]

Originally Posted by patteeu

It seemed to work out OK with Joe Montana in the early 90's. Of course, the plan was screwed up a bit when the Chiefs followed Montana up with Bono and then Grbac, but despite those major gaffes, they went 13-3 twice in the 3 years following Montana's retirement. Imagine what might have been if they'd been able to groom or find a high quality replacement during the two years that Montana was in the red and gold.

I understand you're talking about the way Green Bay developed Aaron Rogers behind Farve. While I agree this would be an ideal situation, cap wise it would be expensive. We already have the ability to draft a first round QB this year. 70+ million right there. Not to mention the cost of bringing Warner here. The Green Bay situation is good, but realistically I could see more of an Arizona situation develop where your first round pick sits on the bench for two years and you really never find out what you have until you've already paid him for a couple of seasons.

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

Warner won't leave ARZ with that WR trio or tandem...

Yeah, I think it would be foolish for him to leave. It's also a concern wrt Todd Haley's offensive acumen. Between having Ken Whisenhunt as a mentor and having an all-star offensive cast, it's hard to know how big Haley's contribution was to Arizona's success. I'm sure this has been talked to death though so forget I mentioned it.

[Manila-Chief]

Originally Posted by talastan

I do agree that he is one of the best. My concern would be what real benefit could he bring to the future of the franchise. Yes we'd have the QB position locked down for 1-2 years but we probably won't even be in position to compete for a championship by then. Clark has also stated he wants KC to have its own homegrown QBotF.

First, I am not telling Pioli/coach what to do ... they are in position to make these decisions. Man, it's so good to say that!!!!

But, if they hire Haley, and if they draft a QBOTF (I know both are big a "IF"), just maybe Kurt could come in, lead the team until the new QB is ready, and teach him how to be a winning QB. Since he was a journeyman QB, would he be like Deberg and have excellent knowledge of the finer points of playing the position?

I'm not saying get him ... just the above may be a reason Haley/Pioli would want him. Also, seems like Kurt was saying it's more fun being on a team where the expectations are not sky high???

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by KC kid

he is old as hell and will only stunt the growth of whatever qb we get when we are ready to contend in 3 years

Excellent, KC Kid! No $$$$ down the shitter.

Rep 4 U!

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by Manila-Chief

First, I am not telling Pioli/coach what to do ... they are in position to make these decisions. Man, it's so good to say that!!!!

But, if they hire Haley, and if they draft a QBOTF (I know both are big a "IF"), just maybe Kurt could come in, lead the team until the new QB is ready, and teach him how to be a winning QB. Since he was a journeyman QB, would he be like Deberg and have excellent knowledge of the finer points of playing the position?

I'm not saying get him ... just the above may be a reason Haley/Pioli would want him. Also, seems like Kurt was saying it's more fun being on a team where the expectations are not sky high???

I don't think there's any chance that Kurt Warner will ever sign with the Chiefs, but to your point I'd add that Kurt Warner was a model veteran backup for Arizona before he reclaimed the starter's role. Unlike some QBs who are going to be a lockerroom problem if they have to sit behind an up and comer with inferior talent, by all accounts, Kurt was a solid teammate and mentor to Matt Lienart while the young guy was the starter.

[blueballs]

If he is going to retire
can he send his magical gloves to Huard

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by blueballs

If he is going to retire
can he send his magical gloves to Huard

Is that the NFL equivalent of Mormon underwear?