ARIZONA CARDINALS

Kurt Warner: ‘Very, very difficult’ to gauge quarterbacks

Dec 14, 2012, 5:23 PM | Updated: 5:51 pm

Sorry Arizona Cardinals fans, Kurt Warner is not walking through the proverbial door to save the team.

“I could not do anything for you; I’ve been sitting on the couch doing nothing for three years,” Warner told ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike Friday. “Although people remember me on the football field I know I couldn’t do any of that right now.”

Warner, who now works as an analyst for the NFL Network, threw for 8,336 yards and 56 touchdowns over his final two years with the Cardinals. He led the Cardinals to a pair of NFC West titles as well as Super Bowl XLIII in his final two seasons as a player.

He retired in January of 2010, though, and the team has struggled mightily to replace him ever since.

Matt Leinart, Derek Anderson, Max Hall, Rich Bartel, John Skelton, Kevin Kolb and Ryan Lindley have all gotten an opportunity to be “the guy”, but none have succeeded in the role.

Arizona’s failed quest to find a quarterback has led to struggles on the field. The Cardinals, who went 24-18 with Warner as a starter under head coach Ken Whisenhunt, boasted one of the NFL’s best offenses with him under center. Since he’s left the team, the Cardinals have gone just 17-26.

“That’s why it’s so difficult to replace top quarterbacks when you expect a certain type of play,” Warner said. “We’ve seen it around the league, when Hall of Fame quarterbacks leave it’s very difficult to find that next guy.

“I think one of the reasons is because the expectation is always so high.”

The team’s struggles to replace Warner underscore the challenge a team has in finding a quality passer. The Cardinals have added options through free agency, the draft and trade, but have yet to find an answer.

“It’s a very, very difficult position to gauge before you see somebody behind center in a football game,” he said. “You can take a guy in a practice or you can evaluate a guy going into the draft and think you’re getting something, and when you put him behind center and put him in some different situations they react completely different than what you expected.”

Presented By
Western Governors University

Arizona Cardinals

Kelvin Beachum leads Cardinals out of the tunnel...

Tyler Drake

New era notes: Pat Tillman’s impact on Cardinals not lost by new regime

The notorious No. 40 will grace the Arizona Cardinals' practice fields throughout the 2023 regular season.

14 hours ago

Dak Prescott attempts a pass...

Tyler Drake

Well-rounded Cowboys offense begins with efficient Dak Prescott

While a lot of the talk has centered around the Cowboys defense, the offense is nothing to scoff at for the Cardinals in Week 3.

17 hours ago

Leki Fotu (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports)...

Arizona Sports

Injury report: Cardinals’ Leki Fotu questionable for Sunday after missing Week 2

The banged up Arizona Cardinals are searching for their first win of the year when they host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

18 hours ago

United States' Julie Ertz heads the ball during the Women's World Cup round of 16 soccer match betw...

Associated Press

Julie Ertz says goodbye to US national team after win over South Africa

Two-time Women's World Cup winner Julie Ertz played her final match for the United States in an exhibition against South Africa on Thursday.

19 hours ago

Josh Woods practices...

Tyler Drake

Cardinals’ Josh Woods ‘trending the right way,’ but ruled out vs. Cowboys

The Arizona Cardinals will be without starting inside linebacker Josh Woods when the team takes on the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3.

21 hours ago

Micah Parsons sacks Daniel Jones...

Tyler Drake

Electric Cowboys defense presents toughest out yet for 2023 Cardinals

You don't have to look far to get an idea of just how dominant the Dallas Cowboys defense has been two games into the regular season.

2 days ago

Kurt Warner: ‘Very, very difficult’ to gauge quarterbacks