Thanks for the memories, Kurt...

There's not a lot I can say that hasn't already been said about Kurt Warner. We all know his story and the remarkable road he took to NFL stardom.

Today, effective at 1:00PM MST, Kurt Warner retired from professional football. With the press conference being announced earlier this week there was little doubt this was the end result, but I think every Cardinals fan--myself included--held out a glimmer of hope that he would play one more year. Alas, it wasn't to be but I think I'm ok with that. There's lots that I could say about where this leaves the Cardinals and wondering if Matt Leinart really is the guy, but today is Kurt Warner's day. I'll respect that and save my speculation for this summer when the Cardinals gear back up for the 2010-11 season.

From St. Louis, to New York, and finally Arizona, he made an impact in each organization he was a part of. Every true NFL fan considers it a bittersweet day as they realize they had the opportunity to watch a QB overcome every obstacle in his career with unparalleled class, and time and again proved he was up to any challenge thrown his way, exceeding every possible expectation.


Kurt by the numbers in the regular season:

4-time Pro-Bowler
2-time NFL MVP
Career QB Rating of 92.7 (3rd in NFL history behind only Young and Manning)
Fastest player in NFL history to 10K passing yards, achieving it in 36 games.


In addition, if Reggie Jackson was MLB's Mr. October, Kurt Warner is the NFL's Mr. January. He put up ridiculous stats in the postseason. Just look at the records he holds:

Career Postseason QB Rating: 102.8 (Only Bart Starr's is higher at 104.8)
9-3 in playoff games
31 postseason TD's (Avg of 2.4TD's a game--higher than any QB w/more than 20)
Averaged 312.3 yards a game in the postseason (highest in history)
Posted the three highest passing yards totals in Super Bowl history
Super Bowl XXXIV MVP


Thank you Kurt for taking this troubled franchise to the promised land of the Super Bowl. Growing up I never imagined I would see the Cardinals ascend to that level, but you made it possible. There are so many good plays and memories I could post on here, but for me, the NFC Championship Game against the Eagles when my dreams came true is the one that sticks out most in my mind...




Kurt I wish you the very best, and prosperity in everything that you do. You'll always be a Cardinal in our hearts. I hope you and your family call Arizona home for many years to come.