4 Hall of Famers who joined the Arizona Cardinals late in their careers
Mar 1, 2021, 3:04 PM | Updated: 11:31 pm
Quarterback Kurt Warner #13 of the Arizona Cardinals looks to pass against the New Orleans Saints during the NFC Divisional Playoff Game at Louisana Superdome on January 16, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints won 45-14. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
J.J. Watt joining the Cardinals isn’t the first time Arizona has seen a veteran with Hall of Fame numbers sign with the team.
We’re taking a look at four Hall of Famers who suited up in the Red and White after years of high-powered production on other teams.
Kurt Warner
Of course, there’s Kurt Warner, the only quarterback to lead the Cardinals to a Super Bowl.
Warner signed with the team in 2005 after spending six years with the St. Louis Rams and one with the New York Giants.
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In his five-year tenure as a Cardinal, Warner played in 61 games and completed 1,371 of his 2,105 passes for 15,843 yards and 100 touchdowns. The quarterback was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017 and has earned a spot in the Cardinals Ring of Honor.
Edgerrin James
Drafted fourth-overall by the Colts in 1999, Edgerrin James came to the Cardinals after seven years in Indianapolis.
He rushed for 2,895 yards and 16 touchdowns over his three-season stint in Arizona. He was also a key player in the Cardinals’ 2009 playoff run that would lead them to the Super Bowl. James ran for 236 yards and one touchdown, averaging 3.87 yards per attempt.
James spent a final season with the Seattle Seahawks before retiring following the 2009 season. He compiled 12,246 rushing yards and 80 rushing touchdowns by the end of his career.
Emmitt Smith
The eight-time Pro Bowler played 13 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, helping the team to three Super Bowl wins while also breaking the NFL record for career rushing yards (18,355) previously held by Walter Payton.
As a free agent in 2003, Smith then became a Cardinal. The running back didn’t quite put up Emmitt Smith numbers in his two seasons with Arizona, but was also dealing with injuries at the time. The running back posted 357 carries for 1,193 yards and 11 touchdowns with the Cards before announcing his retirement.
Alan Faneca
He may have played only one season with the Cardinals, but Faneca still counts.
While offensive linemen may not have the stat sheets of quarterbacks or running backs, the awards and honors Faneca has amassed say it all. He was selected to the Pro Bowl nine years in a row and was named to First-Team All-Pro six times (2001-02, 2004-07).
Faneca’s career spanned 13 years in the league, seeing the most time with the Pittsburgh Steelers before joining the New York Jets and later the Cardinals. He started 201 of the 206 games he appeared in.
Faneca was announced last month as part of the 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
