Kurt Warner

This Date In Transactions History: Rams Release Kurt Warner

June 1st, 2021 at 6:40pm CST by Ben Levine

One of the best rags-to-riches tales in NFL history (temporarily) came to an end on this date 17 years ago. While no one knew it at the time, the story still had years to go before its conclusion. On June 1, 2004, the Rams released veteran quarterback Kurt Warner.

Warner, of course, went from an undrafted free agent and Arena Football League standout to NFL MVP. By the end of the 2003 campaign, Warner had easily cemented himself as one of the top athletes in St. Louis history. After getting thrust into the Rams starting lineup in 1999, the QB would go on to win a pair of MVPs, twice lead the NFL in touchdowns, and win a Super Bowl (along with a Super Bowl MVP). However, the wheels started to come off a bit during the 2002 season. Warner was limited to only six starts that season, with the Rams going 0-6 in those contests.

Warner was the starter to begin the 2003 campaign, but it somehow got worse. During his lone start, he had six fumbles, leading to his official benching. Meanwhile, fill-in Marc Bulger guided the Rams to a 12-3 record as a starter, cementing his spot as the Rams’ QB of the future. As a result, Warner found himself on the outs in St. Louis.

The writing was on the wall during the 2004 offseason. The Rams organization continued to work on a long-term pact with Bulger, and they also signed Chris Chandler to serve as the backup play-caller. So, with the June 1 deadline officially passing, the Rams decided to move on from Warner on this date in 2004. The move saved the Rams about $4.8MM in cap room while costing them about the same amount in dead cap, and they had to eat another $6MM-plus in 2005.

While Warner was reportedly seeking a starting gig following his release, he ultimately settled into a backup role as Eli Manning‘s mentor with the Giants. Warner actually had a chance to start at the beginning of the year, and he showed some improvement from his dreadful 2002 and 2003 campaigns. Still, he only finished with six touchdowns in nine starts, and the Giants voided the second-year of the QB’s contract at the conclusion of the season.

Warner added another chapter to his story in 2005. The veteran joined the Cardinals, and while he’d eventually earn a place in Arizona lore, it took a while for him to fully secure the starting gig. Thanks in part to injuries and the team’s desire to play top draft picks (including Matt Leinart), Warner only saw time in 16 games through his first two seasons with the organization, collecting a 3-12 record.

However, Warner experienced a career turnaround in 2007; his 27 touchdowns were his highest total since 2001. Then, Warner truly put himself back on the NFL map in 2008, earning a Pro Bowl nod after completing 67.1-percent of his passes for 4,583 yards and 30 touchdowns. More importantly, he guided his team to the Super Bowl, where he eventually lost to the Steelers. 2009 was another standout season for Warner, as he tossed 26 touchdowns while leading the Cardinals to a 10-5 record. However, that iteration of the Cardinals got blown out in the Divisional Round, and Warner announced his retirement soon after the season.

While no one thought Warner’s career was finished when he was released by the Rams on this date in 2004, few pundits probably envisioned him returning to the Pro Bowl, much less the Super Bowl. Just like Warner did during the early parts of his career, the QB managed to persevere and surprise during the second-half of his storied career.

This Date In Transactions History: Rams Release Kurt Warner

June 1st, 2018 at 8:40pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Kurt Warner is now essentially NFL royalty. A Super Bowl champion and two-time league MVP, Warner was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2017, serves as an analyst on both television and radio, and was recently considered for a color commentary role on Monday Night Football. But Warner’s fairy-tale career once appeared destined to end with him finishing as nothing more than a flash in the pan, especially after the Rams released him on June 1, 2004.

Warner had been designated as a post-June 1 cut, meaning that while the then-St. Louis Rams had telegraphed their intentions on Warner’s roster status for some time, they waited to officially release him as a salary cap maneuver. Everyone knows Warner’s story up until this point: a former grocery store employee-turned-AFL/NFL Europe star, Warner rose to fame as the captain of “The Greatest Show on Turf,” leading a high-flying Rams offense to two Super Bowl appearances in three seasons.

But things began to change in 2002, as Warner struggled to open the campaign and then missed a chunk of the season with a broken finger. Although he began 2003 as the Rams’ starter under center, he made only one start before giving way to Marc Bulger. St. Louis released Warner following that season, clearing out the remaining three years of a seven-year, $47MM contract he’d signed in 2000.

While it seems ridiculous to ponder with the benefit of hindsight, there was a real possibility Warner’s career could have ended right then and there. Articles (rightly) surfaced with headlines such as “Warner’s career on the decline,” while analyst Phil Simms doubted Warner would ever be a highly-productive quarterback again. “Can [Warner] still be a starting quarterback in this league? Sure,” said Simms. “But I don’t think it could be like before.”

Even Warner and his representatives were bleak on the subject of his future. “Does [Warner] have to find a starting job to be happy? We’re going to keep an open mind,” agent Mark Bartelstein said. “Most teams today have their starting quarterback set.” Warner did in fact land a starting gig by inking a one-year, $3MM deal with the Giants, but he was replaced prior to midseason by No. 1 overall pick Eli Manning. In his nine starts, Warner played well but didn’t exactly set the world on fire, and once again, it was conceivable his career was nearing its nadir.

But of course, Warner’s NFL run was far from over. After signing a one-year pact with the Cardinals, Warner served as Arizona’s starting quarterback for parts of the next three seasons, at times losing snaps to Josh McCown and first-round rookie Matt Leinart. But in 2008, Warner started all 16 games for the Cards and eventually led the club to a Super Bowl which likely cemented his Canton credentials (even though it was a loss). Warner played one more year in Arizona before hanging up his cleats in January 2010, and then briefly considered a comeback attempt earlier this year.

So what’s the takeaway from Warner’s career? To paraphrase Yankees great Yogi Berra, a career is never over until it’s over. Warner looked dead and buried when he was released by the Rams in 2004, but six NFL campaigns later, he was a Hall of Fame shoo-in. Perhaps there’s a free agent still currently on the open market who could experience a similar turnaround, with Warner serving as an example.

Kurt Warner Considered NFL Comeback

May 8th, 2018 at 1:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Plenty of NFL players have retired and un-retired, but Kurt Warner considered doing something unprecedented. The Hall of Fame quarterback pondered a return for this season as he nears his 47th birthday (video link via Patrick Daugherty of NBC Sports).

“I was actually ready to, for this coming season, I actually talked to a coach and my wife said, ‘Go for it, I think it would be great,‘” Warner said during a St. Louis Cardinals telecast. “So I actually talked to a coach about possibly doing it if they needed someone, but then they went out and signed somebody. I don’t think they thought I was serious. So I think we’re completely done now.”

Warner, a former Super Bowl champion and MVP, last took the field in the 2009 season with the Cardinals. He left the game on a high note after leading Arizona to a victory in the opening round of the playoffs, but he has also been out of action for nearly a decade. It’s not clear if any team would have given real consideration to signing Warner, but it sounds like he was fairly serious about the idea on his end.

Running back Herschel Walker famously claimed that he could still play in the NFL when he was in his 50s. He never did make his way back to the gridiron, but he did compete as a professional mixed martial artist in the now defunct Strikeforce promotion.

It’s unlikely that Warner would have garnered real consideration for his planned return, but it’s a fun what-if scenario to ponder.

NFC West Rumors: Fitzgerald, Rams, Warner

January 8th, 2015 at 6:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Larry Fitzgerald‘s agent, Eugene Parker, has had positive preliminary contract talks with the Cardinals, sources tell Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic. Fitzgerald, who just completed his eleventh season, is due an $8MM bonus if he’s on the roster on March 17. Fitzgerald has to decide if wants to continue his career in Arizona, and if so, how big a pay cut he would be willing accept. Cards GM Steve Keim has said that he won’t cut the former Pro Bowler, but he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of trading him. A look at the NFC West..

Vic Fangio would target Kyle Shanahan as offensive coordinator and Ed Donatell as defensive coordinator if he is promoted to head coach of the 49ers, a source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Shanahan would appear to have two horses in the race when it comes to the 49ers’ offensive coordinator gig as father Mike Shanahan has also interviewed for the head coaching position.
Rams owner Stan Kroenke isn’t taking calls from St. Louis officials, so they’re now working directly with the NFL to try and keep their team, as Arash Markazi of ESPN.com writes (with help from The Associated Press). “After a while, you sort of get the hint,” said Jeff Rainford, the mayor’s chief of staff. City and state officials firmly believe that the Rams can succeed in St. Louis, but if they won’t stay, the city is prepared to try and lure another team.
If the Cardinals had wanted to replace Ryan Lindley with Kurt Warner for their playoff run, he would have been open to it. “There was a scenario where I would have considered it,” Warner said on the Dan Patrick Show, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “I don’t know what I would have done.” The 43-year-old Warner said he talked to Arians and GM Steve Keim “in passing” but that he doesn’t think they were ever seriously interested in bringing him back. But the veteran QB was interested enough that he talked to his family about it, and they were supportive.

NFC West Notes: Gore, 49ers, Cards, Davis

December 26th, 2014 at 6:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Now that he appears to be a part of the 49ers‘ future beyond this season, running back Frank Gore sounds excited about what’s ahead. “I want to be a Niner,” Gore told Mindi Bach of CSNBayArea.com. “Like I said before, it’s all I know. I’ve been here since I was 21; 21-year-old, like a kid. I know there will be changes, but I think the guys at the key positions, that’s what matters. Next year, I think Kap will get back to himself. Anquan Boldin will come back. Stevie Johnson is still under contract. Vernon Davis is still under contract. Joe Staley, Anthony Davis. I look at Patrick Willis will be back, NaVorro Bowman, Aldon Smith, for the season. So I think the guys at the key spots are good enough for me to say, ‘Yeah, I want to be back.’” Earlier this week, GM Trent Baalke said that he wants to bring Gore back next season. It was previously speculated that San Francisco would move on from the aging running back in favor of younger options. More news from San Francisco and Arizona…

The Cardinals have had to go through four quarterbacks in a season before and it’s not a fun place to be, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes.
Ryan Lindley will start at QB for the Cardinals on Sunday, but it could be his last chance to show that he belongs in the NFL, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic.
In the crazy, hypothetical scenario section of NFL chatter, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes that there is still a way for the Cardinals to get Kurt Warner on the team for the playoff run. Florio explains that if the team were to release Warner, they could then sign him immediately once he passes through waivers. However, Florio writes there is a good chance some team claims Warner to block the move, suggesting Rams coach Jeff Fisher could do it after comments Bruce Arians made about the Rams always being 8-8.
49ers right tackle Anthony Davis hasn’t held back in his criticism of the team’s coaching staff, specifically offensive coordinator Greg Roman, writes Cam Inman of the Mercury News. Davis allowed that Jim Harbaugh will be gone after the season, and shared his thoughts as to what the club should do to move forward. “I don’t think it’s that complicated what we need to do. I’m just a player, and I know what we don’t need,” said Davis, now in his fifth season. “I don’t want to be close-minded about a new coach coming in with different views, but (a power-run scheme) would seem like the simplest answer.“

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

NFC Links: Quinn, Colston, Sanchez, Warner

December 13th, 2014 at 12:49pm CST by Rob DiRe

With the resurgence of the Seahawks‘ defense, the team’s defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has re-emerged as a top head coaching candidate this offseason, according to Chris Wesseling of NFL.com.

Here are some other links from around the NFC:

The Saints are looking at salary cap hell in the coming seasons, which could lead the team to move on from some veterans. According to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com, the Saints could release Brodrick Bunkley, David Hawthorne, and Marques Colston this offseason due to their high salaries.
The Falcons are 5-8 but in first place in the dismal NFC South. Despite looking at a playoff berth, the team has already started preparing for the 2015 NFL Draft. Their biggest need is at pass rusher, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. He writes that the team will also look closely at receivers, a receiving tight end, and linebackers.
Eagles‘ quarterback Mark Sanchez has played well in starter Nick Foles‘ absence, but has looked bad against the Seahawks and Packers. He will likely need to impress during these next three games in order to keep Foles from usurping the starting job for the playoff run, if they even stay in contention with Sanchez, writes Jeff McClaine of the Philadelphia Inquirer. With the Eagles likely to only keep one of the two going forward into 2015, Sanchez could also be auditioning for next season.
With the Cardinals‘ quarterback situation potentially in ruins after losing Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton to injuries, thoughts of Kurt Warner returning to save the 10-3 Cardinals from an early playoff exit have been floated. Those hoping for Warner to save them shouldn’t hold their breath, according to Bob McManaman of AZCentral.com. He writes that while Warner may have thought about it, the idea of him stepping in after not playing for five years is unrealistic.
Giants‘ quarterback Eli Manning has not been spectacular the last few seasons, but it isn’t time to look for his replacement, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. The team has more pressing needs along the offensive line, at pass rusher, safety, and even possibly receiver, according to Vacchiano.
As the problems in Washington continue, Bill Simmons of ESPN and Grantland posed in interesting question to Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post: Would the fans be willing to give up the team to another city and go without NFL football for three years, with the promise of getting an expansion team (retaining the rights to the colors and name if they want it) along with a new ownership group? Definitely a loaded question, but Steinberg initially thought 75% of fans would make that trade, and based on response from fans, he thinks he may have underestimated that number.