Warner Contemplates Future

Vintage · Oct 7, 2008

Warner Contemplates The Future
Boldin injury, family concerns make QB consider retirement
By DARREN URBAN

Thanks to the emotional ups and downs of the game, quarterback Kurt Warner acknowledges he may give retirement more of a thought after the season.
As Kurt Warner was quizzed more and more about his thoughts about retirement Monday, the Cardinals’ quarterback began to understand the direction of the interview.
So he made one thing clear: Retirement is something he’ll think about at the end of the season – no surprise given where he is in his career and his age (37). But it isn’t something he thinks about every day, and it isn’t a big deal.
More important to Warner is the emotional roller-coaster he is on each week, a ride crystallized over the most recent seven days.
In New York, Warner was devastated by the injury to teammate Anquan Boldin, enough so to text his wife Brenda to tell her it was time to retire. There was family to consider in light of injuries Warner could suffer any given week, and Warner said his wife has wanted him to retire for a couple years now.
Seven days later, Warner was dissecting the Buffalo Bills in a 41-17 win, and his coaster was headed up again.
“The bottom line is it is a great game, it has done great things for me and my family, but I want to walk away and be everything I can be for my family,” Warner said the day after the Bills' win. “Those situations (like Boldin) make you contemplate that.
“Is it worth it sometimes?”
It’s not just injuries that weigh on Warner’s mind. The mental stress has also tugged on the veteran. He said the expectations of him to perform at the same high level that he did during his big years in St. Louis “wears on you.”
The result is, after a good game, it’s more of a sigh of relief rather than jubilation.
“Sometimes you’re not allowed to have a bad game,” Warner said. “That’s a lot of pressure week in and week out. … Some of it is the situations I have been in the last four or five years, where (the organization is) always looking to replace me anyway.”
Warner emphasized none of these thoughts creep in during games. It’s only the rest of the week, no surprise given his 11 years in the NFL. It’s not like Warner hasn’t talked retirement before. During the 2006 season, Warner revealed to NFL writer and friend Michael Silver – who also broke the news of the most recent text message – he thought about quitting after Matt Leinart had beaten him out for the Cardinals’ starting job.
With Warner’s contract set to expire after the season and no extension on the table – Warner and his family would rather not move from Arizona – Warner acknowledged he will think about retirement after this season “moreso than other years.”
“I am really keeping this thing in perspective going forward,” he said, adding that he didn’t think he’d be “horribly saddened” once he retired.
That’s after watching Boldin’s saga play out. With seven children, Warner sees much further than the end of the season. He’s nursing a bad finger on his throwing hand and has some stitches in his chin after a bloody blow Sunday.
He can obviously still play, however. His passer rating of 100.2 is fifth in the NFL, his 1,472 yards is second to Denver’s Jay Cutler heading into Monday night, and he is one of five quarterbacks with at least 10 touchdown passes.
“Kurt’s intelligence and experience that he has are incomparable,” fullback Terrelle Smith said.
Warner was feeling good after shredding the Bills, so much so that Brenda came up to him afterward and said “You’re never going to retire, are you?”
“Games like that,” Warner said, “make you want to play forever.”

EXTRA POINTS
Cornerback Rod Hood (groin) sounded much more optimistic Monday about his injury and felt certain he’d be able to play against Dallas. Coach Ken Whisenhunt said the team still had to evaluate Hood’s MRI. Tight end Ben Patrick (knee) was also scheduled to get an MRI. …
Whisenhunt said Warner’s finger injury shouldn’t be a big deal as he has gotten used to it. Warner also said it wasn’t a problem. …
Whisenhunt acknowledged it was a calculated gamble to play safety Adrian Wilson Sunday knowing he would only play limited snaps, but weighed it against “the 44<sup>th</sup> or 45<sup>th</sup>” man active in previous games, who hadn’t played. That was likely tackle Elliott Vallejo, who had been active but had not played before being deactivated against Buffalo. It left only Elton Brown as an available backup non-center.
“To have Adrian in that role where I knew he was going to play, I was willing to take that chance,” Whisenhunt said. …
Whisenhunt confirmed rookie cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie made a mistake being too aggressive on the play in which Bills receiver Lee Evans blew past him for an 87-yard touchdown pass. …
Injured players like Boldin or defensive end Bertrand Berry (groin) will not be held out just because the bye lands after the Dallas game, Whisenhunt said. That said, neither will be rushed back.

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Vintage · Oct 7, 2008

Not surprising, as he is getting up there in age. But a bit surprising he thought about retirement after the Boldin injury.

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