Arizona Cardinals announce Kurt Warner will enter Ring of Honor
Jun 18, 2014, 8:12 PM | Updated: 9:23 pm
The Arizona Cardinals Ring of Honor will have a new name this fall.
The Cardinals announced Kurt Warner will be inducted at halftime during their regular season opener on Sept. 8 on Monday Night Football against the San Diego Chargers. He will be the 14th person to receive the honor, 11 of those being in the NFL Hall of Fame.
“Just humbled and honored to be recognized this way and to go down in the history of the Cardinal organization in this fashion,” Warner said at a press conference Wednesday. “Honored to be a part of that history and to have had the opportunity to play here.”
Warner was a Cardinal from 2005 to 2009, leading the team to NFC West titles in 2008 and 2009. The quarterback led the team to their first Super Bowl in February 2009, losing in the final seconds to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In Warner’s five seasons with the Cardinals, he completed 65.1 percent of his passes, threw for 15,843 yards and 100 touchdowns.
“I’ve got to say thanks to my teammates and my coaches along the way,” Warner said. “I know there’s one name that’s going to go in the Ring of Honor, and that’ll be my name, but I know that I couldn’t do it without so many people along the way and so many great teammates and coaches.”
Warner began his career with the St. Louis Rams, where he was a two-time NFL MVP, guiding the “Greatest Show on Turf” to two Super Bowl appearances and one title.
In his last two seasons with the Rams, Warner had an 0-7 record and 68.7 quarterback rating, prompting his release before the 2004 season.
His success in St. Louis and Arizona has led to many questions about whether Warner feels a greater affinity for one team over the other — and more importantly, who’d he like to be connected to once his seemingly inevitable Pro Football Hall of Fame induction arrives.
“I wouldn’t be going in the Hall of Fame, if I get in, without both parts. Both parts, to me, are equally as important and equally special,” he said.
Warner signed with the Giants in 2004, but eventually lost the starting quarterback position to Eli Manning.
After his stint in New York, Warner signed with the Cardinals in 2005. He ultimately revived his career by leading the team to two playoff appearances, including Super Bowl XLIII.
He will be the first quarterback to be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor.
