Warner Still Has It: Former Two Time MVP Quarterback and Super Bowl Champion Should Return in 2007

The 2006 season looked so promising for the NFL's Kurt Warner after signing a new contract with the Arizona Cardinals during the off-season. It looked as if after being run out of town in St. Louis, and basically being a stop gap in New York with the Giants in 2004 that he had finally found a home where he could possibly finish his career. There was no question the Cardinals had to draft a young quarterback though, Warner isn't getting any younger and has had trouble staying healthy for a complete season dating back to the 2000 season.

When Matt Leinart dropped down in the draft and the Cardinals selected him it was rather obvious that Kurt Warner would not remain the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals for the entire three year duration of his new contract. And it's common sense as to why, first of all your not going to let a young quarterback with the superstar potential of Matt Leinart stand on the sidelines holding a clip board for three seasons, maybe one, two tops, but not three. Secondly Leinart at least in his days at USC showed the ability to be a very effective quarterback in this league, still plenty of young quarterbacks have shown great promise in college but have never been able to duplicate that promise in the NFL. Leinart is a bit unique in that he has a bit of superstar status and popular media following that not all young athletes coming out of college have. And let's face it, the Arizona Cardinals are not the most popular or successful franchise in the NFL or in all of professional sports. Matt Leinart could possibly give them a face to the franchise for the first time in ages, and that's a big reason why they drafted him aside from his athletic ability. So it's no surprise that this news was a bit disappointing to Kurt, he handled the situation very positively and with class the way he always does, but you could hear it in Kurt's voice after Leinart was drafted that he sensed his leash as the starting quarterback may have just decreased a tad, a huge tad.