Kurt Warner doesn’t fit the mold of the typical Hall of Fame quarterback.
He was not the top overall pick in the NFL Draft like Troy Aikman or Terry Bradshaw. Warner was not drafted and used Arena Football to earn his opportunity in the NFL.
He was not given the reigns to a franchise like Dan Marino or John Elway. The Rams and Giants gave up on Warner, only to see him lead the Cardinals to Super Bowl XLIII.
He hasn’t even been the most beloved quarterback of his generation like Joe Montana or Roger Staubach. Warner has been overshadowed by Brett Favre, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady during his 11-year career.
But Warner had a Hall-of-Fame-like performance on Sunday in the opening round of the playoffs.
The Cardinals quarterback had more touchdowns than incomplete passes in Arizona’s 51-45 win over the Packers. His final stats on Sunday: 29-33, 379 yards, 5 TDs, 154.1 QB rating. And that was against a top-five passing defense.
It’s not uncommon for Warner to have success in the playoffs. He holds the three highest passing yard totals in Super Bowl history. He has 31 touchdown passes in 12 postseason games — fourth all-time in NFL playoff history and just one shy of Marino (18 games).
What makes Warner’s career puzzling is that there are gaps. He was 28 years old when he finally got a chance to start with the Rams. After two MVPs in three seasons, he struggled with hand injuries that caused fumbling problems and he lost his starting job in St. Louis. Then there was the one season in New York where he was signed to groom rookie Eli Manning. Warner then agreed to play in Arizona and finally regained his Pro Bowl form in 2008.
Warner is contemplating retiring after this season. His career from grocery bagger to NFL MVP is unlike any Hall of Famer. But his three Super Bowl appearances, 93.7 career QB rating and two MVPs sound fitting for Canton.
