Warner left NFL knowing he could still play
Feb 7, 2012, 9:17 PM | Updated: 11:13 pm
Kurt Warner’s last game as an NFL quarterback saw him get
knocked out of the game due to an injury suffered during
the return of an interception, with many thinking that hit
was one of the reasons he walked away from the game a
couple weeks later.
Not true.
Warner, who was a guest on Arizona Sports 620’s Burns and
Gambo Tuesday, explained why he retired just a few weeks
after completing 29 of 33 passes for 379 yards and five
touchdowns in a thrilling win over the Packers, seemingly
at the top of his game.
“It was because of what the game was starting to take from
me, what the demands were for me as a football player,” he
said. “It was starting to affect me personally, it was
starting to affect me physically, and I just wasn’t
willing to give that anymore.”
Wanting to spend more time with his wife Brenda and their
seven children, Warner walked away from the game and left
a void the Cardinals have not yet filled.
However, no one had any ill will towards Warner — nor
should they — because while he likely could have
continued to play at a high level, there’s no shame in
walking away when the time feels right.
“So that is the reason why I ended up retiring, not
because of anything else,” he said.
