Could Kurt Warner return to play for Arizona Cardinals? Probably not
Dec 12, 2014, 5:14 PM | Updated: 6:09 pm
Two things have been happening on a regular basis with the Arizona Cardinals.
The team continues to win games in steady, unspectacular fashion. The latest was a 12-6 victory over the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome Thursday night.
Unfortunately, the second thing is injuries. In the win, quarterback Drew Stanton injured his right knee in the third quarter and did not return. He’s scheduled for an MRI Friday, and could miss substantial time.
Ryan Lindley came in and finished the game, going 4-of-10 for 30 yards. Most importantly, he didn’t turn the ball over.
The Cardinals are almost certain to make the playoffs, but their chances of advancing are greatly reduced with Lindley, who hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in 181 career attempts, at the controls.
Behind Lindley is rookie fourth-round pick Logan Thomas, who saw limited action in the Cardinals’ loss to the Denver Broncos in early October.
If Stanton is out, the Cardinals will have to bring in another quarterback, so many are trying to formulate a list of possible candidates.
Social media was buzzing with the name Kurt Warner. In fact, Warner himself tweeted during the game about the situation.
I am out in the trailer, u think they have an extra jersey in the locker room? Man I feel terrible 4 the Cards & all the injuries!
— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) December 12, 2014
Warner, who led the Cardinals to consecutive NFC West titles and a Super Bowl appearance, retired following the 2009 season. But would it be possible? Could one of the most beloved figures in team history come back and suit up again? He was asked that very question by Doug and Wolf Friday on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.
“You guys are nuts,” Warner said. “I feel so bad for the Cards. They have done so many great things this year and have played so well and really overcome so much.
“So many different things have happened and they’ve overcome them, there’s nothing to say that they can’t overcome this one, either.”
But that’s not to say Warner didn’t think about the possibility.
“I was up half the night actually considering could I still play,” he said. “We all have visions of what I could do five years ago, but since then, I’ve been chasing kids and playing basketball.
“If I really felt that I could come back and play, I would love to help this team out and the organization because I feel so bad for them.”
So why is the 43-year-old convinced he couldn’t play?
“We’re talking about the highest level of football in the world. We’re talking about the best players ever, and you think a guy could come off the couch and lead a team in the playoffs to the Super Bowl,” Warner asked with a laugh.
