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PHOENIX - Former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner said Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will not have done enough to be inducted into the Hall of Fame even if he wins a third Super Bowl this Sunday.

Warner was asked on Sports 620 KTAR's Gambo and Ash show if he thought Roethlisberger belonged in the Hall of Fame. Not yet, according to Warner.

Warner disputed the idea that winning championships alone should get someone into the Hall of Fame.

"I believe that this era has become about winning championships for a quarterback," Warner said. "But I just look at it from the fact that the best players to ever play this game belong in the Hall of Fame. And I'm not saying he won't be that guy. But I'm not sure he's there yet.

I'm not sure if he just wins this game if that classifies him as one of the best to ever play the game."

Warner said that it would take more than Super Bowl rings and Roethlisberger's 10-2 record in the playoffs to get him into the Hall of Fame.

"I like Ben," Warner said. "I think Ben's great and I think he's a winner. And to me that speaks volumes for your legacy. But when you're talking about the best quarterbacks in the league, you have to look at all the factors here.

I mean, he won a Super Bowl and he was 8-23. But he won the Super Bowl and he gets that on his resume. But he was still 8-23." (Roethlisberger completed 9-21 passes in Super Bowl XL against the Seattle Seahawks.)

According to Warner, Roethlisberger has never carried his team for long stretches, though he admits that is something he has never been given the chance to do.

"I'm just waiting to see Ben as the guy that carries his team at some point in time. The fortunate thing for him is he hasn't had to do that. He carries them in the last two minutes. He makes some key plays. (He's) phenomenal out of the pocket and ad-libbing. But for me, if you go to the Hall of Fame, you have to be a guy who can carry your team week in and week out as a quarterback. That's my opinion."

Warner points to Tom Brady as a Hall-of-Fame-caliber quarterback who has both won Super Bowls and carried his team over the course of a season. He offered up Philip Rivers as an example of a quarterback who has carried his team over the past few seasons, but has yet to lead the Chargers to a Super Bowl.

Warner emphasized that if the 28-year-old Roethlisberger could prove that he could carry his team for a few seasons that he would be a "no-brainer" to make it into the Hall of Fame.

While Warner doesn't think Roethlisberger has earned his spot in the Hall of Fame yet, he does envy Roethlisberger's Super Bowl rings.

Warner, who has won two NFL MVP awards and won one Super Bowl, said that he would trade a spot in the Hall of Fame for more Super Bowl wins.

"What would I rather have - be in the Hall of Fame or …winning three championships? I'd take the three championships. To me that's what it's all about. That's the bottom line."

Warner came on the show to see why show co-host John Gambadoro said he would choose Roethlisberger over him.

Is Ben Roethlisberger a Hall of Famer already?
Yes, he has 2 rings and playing in a third Super Bowl.
No, he needs to add more to his career.

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  • Abuse
    valeriea62 wrote...
    You are kidding, right Gambo??
    You'd take Ben R over Kurt Warner? You are so dumb right there!
  • Abuse
    TheGreatZamboni wrote...
    Worry whether YOU belong in the Hall, Kurt
    Roethlisberger has led the Steelers to nine of 10 win in postseason games Nine of 10. Warner didn’t do that. Brady hasn’t done that. Manning hasn’t done that. Icy Issues: Big Ben elite by any measure Cold, Hard Football Facts for November 15, 2007 Icy Issue: How come nobody talks about Ben Roethlisberger as an elite NFL quarterback? Icier Response: Apparently people just can't believe it's possible to be so good so young. Jealous much, Kurt? Still steamed about losing to Ben? Or that he's about ten years younger and has twice as many rings? Uh huh.
  • Abuse
    TheGreatZamboni wrote...
    P.S. This is wrong, too, Kurt
    According to Warner, Roethlisberger has never carried his team for long stretches, though he admits that is something he has never been given the chance to do. "I'm just waiting to see Ben as the guy that carries his team at some point in time. The fortunate thing for him is he hasn't had to do that. --- Wrong! In the Steelers first Super Bowl run, the run game totally disappeared. Even without ground support, Ben put up 3 games with passer ratings near 100 or better (145 rating in one game). He carried the Steelers to the first Bowl, which Kurt conveniently forgets to mention.
  • Abuse
    badappel wrote...
    TheGreatZamboni
    You are a 100% grade A idiot. Warner wasnt bagging on Roethlisberger at all. If you read the article, excuse me, if you comprehended what was written, you would see that. Athletes are starting to be held to an appropriate standard when it comes to making it into the Hall of Fame (e.g. Baseball's Pete Rose). Roethlisberger is going to do an awful lot of work to get rid of his party boy (potential registered sex offender) reputation. Do everyone a favor and stop clinging to the pathetic remnants of your "Glory Days"
  • Abuse
    Eric H. wrote...
    I can't believe some of the reasonings
    Ben is an average QB who is on a team with a great D and likes to use the running game. He does not carry the team, at all. I'm tired of hearing about he has so many wins in the playoffs. The team wins those games, not him.You put Ben on a team with an average defense, nobody would be talking about him. You put Kurt on a team with a D like the Steelers, he's easily one of the top 3 greatest Qbs ever. Kurt played on teams that didn't have great defenses, and where teams KNEW he was going to be throwing. Ben puts up decent numbers when teams are trying to focus and take away the running game.
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