The underdog story has been prevalent in Hollywood forever, especially for sports movies.
Usually, the story begins with someone who didn’t quite measure up as a can’t-miss pro prospect.
After years of struggling and making incremental gains, the underdog is given a break and suddenly becomes a star.
That’s what happened to Kurt Warner.
He wasn’t the starting varsity quarterback on his high school football team until he was a senior.
A local college gave him an opportunity to play, and he didn’t crack that program’s starting spot until his fifth, and final, season.
Warner made just enough noise to get NFL interest as an undrafted free agent, but didn’t stick.
Not wanting to give up on his dream, he stocked the shelves of a grocery store while working as a grad assistant and played in the Arena Football League for three years.
Then, Warner got a break by making the roster of the St. Louis Rams in 1998.
NEWS FLASH:
Rams signed @kurt13warner to an exclusive 1 year contract for 2023 as backup to starting QB #MatthewStafford. @RamsNFL pic.twitter.com/eGCEvIn469— JimEverett.eth (@Jim_Everett) April 1, 2023
As football fans are now well aware, just before the 1999 NFL season kicked off, the Rams’ starting quarterback was lost to a season-ending injury, and Warner was thrust under center.
That season, he made the most of it by guiding St. Louis to an improbable run to Super Bowl XXXIV and a scintillating win.
Two more teams would employ Warner in the next decade, and it seemed like his best days were behind him until he gained new life in Arizona.
Since retiring, Warner has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is heavily involved in charity, works as an analyst for NFL Network, and continues to inspire underdogs everywhere.
This is the story of Kurt Warner.
Multi-Sport Athlete in Burlington
Kurtis (Kurt) Eugene Warner was born on June 22, 1971, in Burlington, Iowa.
Kurt Warner#Rams pic.twitter.com/pELg9MzlWE
— Old Time Football 🏈 (@Ol_TimeFootball) June 22, 2024
Growing up amidst corn and experiencing the divorce of his parents, Gene and Sue Warner, Kurt spent a lot of his youth playing sports.
When he wasn’t in school, Warner spent his days playing baseball and softball, soccer, football and basketball.
Contrary to the sport that made him famous, Warner preferred the hardcourt at the time.
“Basketball was my first love,” Warner said in 2013. “If I could have chosen to play a professional sport, it would have been basketball. To me, the great thing about basketball is practice is fun.”
That didn’t stop Regis Catholic High School (now known as Xavier High School) freshman football coach Jim Padlock from trying to sway Warner’s opinion.
During preseason practices before Warner’s freshman year, Padlock watched as Warner tossed passes to his friends on the sideline.
The coach was dumbfounded that a kid that age already had zip and accuracy on the ball.
From stocking shelves at Hy-Vee to NFL MVP…is there a better Iowa underdog story?
On June 22, 1971, Kurt Warner was born in Burlington. A quarterback for CR Regis, UNI, the Iowa Barnstormers, and the NFL, Warner’s underdog story continues to inspire Iowans. pic.twitter.com/Mr8jC6ORRR
— Notes on Iowa (@notesoniowa) June 22, 2025
Padlock wanted Warner to be his quarterback, but Warner had zero interest.
Although he was six feet and had the skills, Warner wanted to be a defensive end and a hybrid receiver/tight end.
Thinking fast, the coach made a compromise.
“The deal we made was, if I let him stay on and play defensive end, he would also play quarterback,” Padlock recalled 32 years later.
Seeing the Big Picture
The freshman agreed, and Warner led the team by running some unique plays.
“He did that all season, and we went undefeated,” said Padlock. “We threw a lot. We would come up with the most crazy stuff. We did everything different just to freak out teams. We would use 25 formations during a game. We probably ran half of our plays with motion. Once you realized (Warner) was that smart, our assistant coach and I looked at each other and said, ‘OK, let’s have fun.’ We weren’t tough. We weren’t mean. We were innovative. And Kurt made that possible. It was one of the most memorable seasons in my 30 years of coaching.”
Off the field, Warner was also figuring out how to lead in settings that didn’t involve sports.
While navigating the hallways between classes at Regis, he would spot the awkward, isolated kid and strike up a conversation.
In short order, those invisible students gained a new friend.
“You could see that in school,” Warner’s Regis basketball coach, Dick Breitbach, said. “To those people who were lacking in friends, he had that great knack, that gift to show them they were part of the school.”
Good, but Not Great
Following his freshman year, Warner was stuck behind upperclassmen quarterbacks for his sophomore and junior years.
He finally stepped under center as the starter for his senior year and performed well enough to be selected for the all-state team.
“I remember Kurt was a very average high school quarterback with potential,” said Greg Purnell, who coached against Warner while at Linn-Mar. “He was a really good competitor, but he developed so late in his life.”
Through the winter and basketball season (where he was also named all-state), Warner didn’t have any major college interest.
Thankfully, incoming Northern Iowa head coach Terry Allen offered the kid a partial scholarship, and Warner took it.
“We didn’t have a lot of money,” Warner said. “I jumped at the opportunity to play.”
Biding His Time
In the late summer of 1989, Warner arrived in Cedar Falls, Iowa, to begin his college career.
25 Years Ago Today: The NFL Draft ends without Northern Iowa quarterback Kurt Warner getting drafted.
Packers sign him as a free agent, then cut him. Goes to NFL Europe, works night shift at a Hy-Vee, gets back into league with Rams, wins Super Bowl, becomes a Hall of Famer. pic.twitter.com/giW3gVYxfq
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) April 25, 2019
At the same time, Jay Johnson also arrived to begin his quest as a quarterback for the Panthers.
Instead of trying to compete for playing time against Johnson as a freshman, Warner decided to redshirt.
Northern Iowa won eight games that year and then reached the Division I-AA playoffs each of the next three seasons while Warner remained stuck behind Johnson.
Kurt Warner University of Northern Iowa. pic.twitter.com/KW7Y1jnHtG
— Natalie Johnson 💙💛🇺🇦 (@NatalieJohnso12) April 23, 2022
No matter that Warner made the most of his opportunities when he did get in games, Johnson proved to be a great field general, and Allen wasn’t going to replace him.
So, when the 1992 season ended and Johnson’s collegiate eligibility expired, Warner decided to stick around for a fifth season so he could finally prove his worth.
1993
“I thought a lot of people in that fifth year might have quit a long time before that,” Breitbach said. “He had a lot of courage staying around.”
Warner’s belief in himself was tested at times during his first four years at Northern Iowa.
“There were definitely times in college that I thought, ‘Should I try something else?'” Warner said, “But I really thought I could compete at that level.”
The Panthers began 1993 with an 0-2 record, including a close, 45-42, loss to the University of Wyoming in the season’s second week.
Kurt Warner – university of Northern Iowa pic.twitter.com/mho8hL8F6T
— David Connell (@Coach_Connell) November 20, 2022
Then, beginning in mid-September, Warner got the offense humming and led the Panthers to eight wins in nine games.
He passed for 2,747 yards and 17 touchdowns, and the Gateway Conference made Warner its player of the year.
For the fourth season in a row, Northern Iowa reached the I-AA playoffs but couldn’t get past Boston University in the First Round and lost, 27-21, in two overtimes.
Undrafted

Although Warner ended his college career on a high note, it certainly didn’t help that he did well in a lower division and he only had one season under his belt.
NFL clubs didn’t clamor for his services, but Warner spent the 1994 NFL Draft watching with hope.
In the first round, quarterbacks Heath Shuler and Trent Dilfer went within the first six picks.
It wasn’t until the fourth round that C.W. Post QB Perry Klein and Idaho’s Doug Nussmeier went off the board.
The only other signal-caller of note came with the 197th pick in the seventh round, which was Tulsa’s Gus Frerotte, who would play in the NFL for over a decade.
When the draft ended, Warner was still at home waiting for a call.
Finally, the Green Bay Packers reached out, and he went to camp to compete with Brett Favre, Mark Brunell and Ty Detmer, a former Heisman Trophy winner.
After being cut by Packers, Kurt Warner bagged groceries on a graveyard shift for $5.50 an hour. Now a Hall of Famer. Dream strong, kids. pic.twitter.com/Zw9SdiAchN
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) February 5, 2017
Needless to say, those were long odds, and Warner was cut by the end of training camp.
Warner returned home, looked his future in the eye and didn’t like what stared back at him.
His football career as a player looked dead and buried, and no one was beating down his door for help.
He returned to Northern Iowa to work as a graduate assistant and then spent nights stocking shelves at a Hy-Vee grocery store.
The odds were against him, but Warner prepared for a football future regardless.
“I wasn’t going to let somebody write that story for me,” Warner said.
The Barnstormers
As if on cue, the Arena Football League founded a franchise in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1995 and called it the Iowa Barnstormers.
Warner attended the tryouts and made the roster as the starting QB for the inaugural season.
The Barnstormers went 7-5 and lost in the semifinals to Orlando in the playoffs while Warner passed for 2,980 yards and 43 touchdowns.
DID YOU KNOW: Kurt Warner was signed to the Iowa Barnstormers 1995 roster after attending a Tryout Camp. pic.twitter.com/FtdAIP2Llr
— Iowa Barnstormers (@iabarnstormers) December 2, 2021
In 1996, Iowa improved to 12-2 as Warner attacked defenses with 3,336 yards and 61 touchdowns, bringing the franchise to Arena Bowl X.
He passed for four touchdowns in the contest, but the Barstormers lost to the Tampa Bay Storm, 42-38.
Playing Arena ball was much different than 11-man football as the field dimensions are much shorter, there’s only eight players on each side, and the quarterbacks have to navigate tight windows and hellish shots from opponents.
Kurt Warner. Iowa Barnstormers. pic.twitter.com/dVidfkx7VS
— 𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙢𝙚𝙩 𝘼𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙩 (@HelmetAddict) February 5, 2017
Turns out, Warner was up for the challenge.
“He always kept his cool and kept steadfast in that he had greatness within him,” former Barnstormers center David Bush said.
Iowa returned to the Arena Bowl in 1997 with Warner leading an attack that produced 4,149 yards and 79 touchdowns (against just 14 interceptions).
Once again, the Barnstormers came up short (despite three TD throws by Warner), this time to the Arizona Rattlers.
Getting an Opportunity
In 1997, Dick Vermeil came out of a lengthy coaching retirement and was hired to lead the St. Louis Rams.
Tony Banks was his starting quarterback, and the team went 5-11.
Before the 1998 season, Vermeil and his staff reached out to Warner and expressed interest, but they wanted him to play in NFL Europe first.
An opportunity to play at the sport’s highest level was too good to pass up, and he headed to the Netherlands to play for the Amsterdam Admirals.
Before his Cinderella season in 1999, @kurt13warner had to prove himself in NFL Europe in the Spring of 1998. pic.twitter.com/0LkdvWaebY
— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) March 9, 2021
While in Europe, Warner led the league in passing yards (2,101) and touchdown passes (15).
His play was exactly what Vermeil expected, and Warner made the Rams’ roster for 1998.
“I said to him, ‘Kurt, there’s something special about you, and I can’t wait to find out what it is,'” Vermeil recalled of the day he told Warner he’d made the team. “That’s the honest-to-God truth.”
As St. Louis regressed to 4-12, Warner sat behind Banks and Steve Bono and only saw action in one game, completing four of 11 passes for 39 yards.
“We will rally around Kurt Warner…”

During the following offseason, the Rams signed former Washington Redskins starting QB Trent Green.
In 1998, Green had come out of nowhere to pass for 3,341 yards and 23 touchdowns for Washington.
His first year as a starter and his outstanding play came right as he hit free agency.
The Redskins offered him a new four-year deal, but Green rejected it and signed with St. Louis instead.
This Week In 1999: Rams backup Kurt Warner, who worked at a HyVee at $5.50 an hour to make extra cash, leads team to 6-0 start pic.twitter.com/Y5tq8A2wBb
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) October 23, 2016
On August 28, 1999, Green was playing in a pre-season contest against San Diego when Chargers safety Rodney Harrison slammed into the QB’s knee, tearing Green’s ACL and ending his season.
Dick Vermeil will get enshrined into the Pro Football HOF this weekend. His “We will rally around Kurt Warner” moment will forever be legendary. pic.twitter.com/B3RFF0rZLK
— Blaine Grisak 💭 (@bgrisakTST) August 5, 2022
Following the game, Vermeil was tearful about losing Green but told the media the team would “…rally around Kurt Warner, and we’ll play good football.”
An Unexpected Surprise
Rams fans and the media scoffed at the coach’s words.
Warner was an unknown whose best body of work came in Europe and in the Arena League.
Little did they know that playing in the Arena League was perfect preparation for the Rams’ new high-powered passing attack.
St. Louis was primed to take off with running back Marshall Faulk and receivers Isaac Bruce, Az-Zahir Akim, rookie Torry Holt and Ricky Proehl.
The era of Kurt Warner all started against the Baltimore Ravens. The ultimate story of perseverance and fight! #13 threw 3 touchdowns in his first victory as the Rams quarterback against the Ravens in 1999 pic.twitter.com/fEKF9fbrRL
— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) December 28, 2021
Warner knew he belonged the first time he passed to Bruce.
“I just threw the ball as hard as I could, and Isaac Bruce caught it,” Warner said.
The entire sports world soon learned what Warner was capable of by helping the Rams to a 6-0 record to begin the season.
Sports Illustrated then featured Warner on its October 18 cover with the caption, “Who Is This Guy?”
OCT 18, 1999:
Rams QB @kurt13warner is lighting up the NFL 👀 pic.twitter.com/zAWbI4uRHr
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) October 19, 2020
After a two-game losing streak, St. Louis reeled off seven more wins before losing its season finale to Philadelphia.
By then, Vermeil’s offense was known as the “Greatest Show on Turf,” and Warner had passed for 4,353 yards, 41 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions.
He led the league in several categories, including passing touchdowns, completion percentage (65.1%), and passer rating (109.2, a career-high).
The NFL named Warner its MVP, and he was named a first-team All-Pro and chosen for his first Pro Bowl.
“How good he was going to be, nobody could’ve predicted that,” said Mike Martz, the offensive coordinator in 1999. “We always felt that you can win with Kurt; his learning curve just had to speed up.”
Super Bowl XXXIV

During the playoffs, St. Louis dispatched Minnesota in the divisional round before inching past Tampa Bay, 11-6, in the NFC Championship Game.
Undrafted to the @ProFootballHOF. Legendary.
Happy birthday, @kurt13warner! pic.twitter.com/mBApDp70Aj
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) June 23, 2019
The victory brought the Rams back to the NFL’s ultimate game for the first time since 1979 (when the franchise was based in LA).
Facing St. Louis that day was the Tennessee Titans, led by quarterback Steve McNair.
Both teams went 13-3 in the regular season, although the Rams were favored by seven points due to their top-ranked offense and fourth-ranked defense.
At halftime, St. Louis led 9-0, paced by three field goals from kicker Jeff Wilkins.
Then, during the third quarter, Warner found Holt for a nine-yard touchdown pass to put the Rams’ lead at 16-0.
Tennessee finally got on the board with 16 unanswered points to tie the score late in the fourth quarter.
The double-digit comeback was a first in Super Bowl history.
Just when the Titans felt momentum swing its way, Warner struck again.
On the Rams’ first offensive play of the next series, Warner spied Bruce sprinting past his man and completed a bomb for an incredible 73-yard touchdown.
25 Years Ago Tonight
January 30, 2000The Winning Score of Super Bowl XXXIV
With just over two minutes remaining, immediately after the #Titans tie it up after having trailed 16-0, the #Rams' NFL and Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner arcs a 73-yard touchdown strike to Isaac Bruce.… pic.twitter.com/CCLvGBuEKk
— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) January 30, 2025
The pass just so happened to be the quarterback’s only completion of the fourth quarter.
With less than two minutes remaining, McNair drove Tennessee down to the Rams’ 10-yard line with six seconds left.
On the next play, McNair found receiver Kevin Dyson, who caught the ball but was tackled by Rams linebacker Mike Jones one yard short of paydirt.
"The Tackle"#Rams linebacker Mike Jones halts #Titans receiver Kevin Dyson one yard short of the goal line on the final play of #SuperBowl XXXIV — preserving the Rams' first Super Bowl victory.
ABC's Al Michaels delivers yet another of his iconic calls.
January 30, 2000 pic.twitter.com/6WniyxnlHw
— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) January 30, 2025
Shortly after St. Louis’ 23-16 win, Warner was named the game’s MVP based on his 414 passing yards (a Super Bowl record) and two touchdown throws.
He also set a game record by attempting 45 passes without an interception.
MVP Again
The Rams’ attempt at a Super Bowl repeat was thwarted in 2000 by the New Orleans Saints in the wild-card round (Warner was chosen as The Sporting News’ Athlete of the Year).
In 2001, St. Louis got back on track by winning a franchise record 14 games.
The Week 3 2001 season opener at the Edward Jones Dome saw Kurt Warner firing a 45-yard touchdown pass to Torry Holt to put St. Louis up 35-10 over Miami. The #STLRams would go on to beat the Dolphins 42-10. This was one of 4 catches for 111 yards for Big Game. @AllHands81 pic.twitter.com/fA8kHLXVZj
— St. Louis Rams History (@STLRamsHistory) June 11, 2024
Warner was once again named the NFL MVP after passing for 4,830 yards (a career-high), 36 touchdowns and 22 picks (also a career-high).
“Some people think that a guy like Kurt came out of nowhere,” said Bruce. “But when you really start to peel back the veil and start to peel the orange, you kind of see the work that he put in, his willingness to not give up on his dream.”
He led the league in passing touchdowns, passing yards, completion percentage (68.7, a career-high) and passer rating (101.4).
Those stats led to another first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl accolades.
St. Louis took care of Green Bay and Philadelphia in the postseason before meeting the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI.
Before the contest, the Rams were favored by two touchdowns.
However, by the end of the third quarter, New England led 17-3.
At long last, Warner got his team back on track with a two-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, then a 26-yard touchdown throw to Ricky Proehl to tie the score at 17-all.
Adam Vinatieri hits a 48-yard field goal as time expires giving the #Patriots their first Super Bowl title.
The only #SuperBowl decided on the final play of regulation
SUPER BOWL XXXVI
February 3, 2002 pic.twitter.com/ShE50QenWt— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) February 3, 2025
As time expired, Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri booted a 48-yard field goal to spoil the Rams’ day, 20-17.
Warner passed for 365 yards (then the second-best total in game history) and a touchdown, but was tripped up by two costly interceptions.
Injuries and Release
Just when Warner was flying high, the wheels suddenly fell off.
He began the 2002 season with an abysmal seven interceptions and just one touchdown as the Rams started 0-3.
Then, in Week 4 against Dallas, Warner broke a finger on his throwing hand.
The injury kept him on the sideline until later in the season, but his return was still hampered by his finger.
Warner ended the year with 1,431 yards, three touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while St. Louis went 7-9.
2003 nfl news- Mike Marty has announced Marc Bulger will remain the Rams quarterback for the foreseeable future. Kurt Warner will be the backup pic.twitter.com/saWs3gEjGa
— 2006 Eagles (@2006Birds) September 14, 2023
Disaster struck in Week 1 of the 2003 season when Warner was harassed by the New York Giants defense into six fumbles.
Backup Marc Bulger took his place and started the rest of the year, leaving Warner with one start, 365 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception.
In early June, 2004, the Rams released their former two-time MVP.
Mentoring Eli Manning
In the 2004 NFL Draft, the San Diego Chargers selected Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning with the top overall pick before the New York Giants took N.C. State QB Philip Rivers at the fourth spot.
Both teams then swapped signal callers, and Manning landed in the Big Apple.
Waiting for him was Warner, who had been signed by the club two days after the Rams released him.
Kurt Warner Giants pic.twitter.com/zvQwQq5X4e
— Rodolfo Rocha (@RodolfoRocha12) May 20, 2024
At the end of training camp, then-head coach Tom Coughlin named Warner the starter so Manning could watch and learn the ropes.
By November 1, the G-Men were 5-2, and Warner was looking like his old self.
Two straight losses followed, and Coughlin put Manning in as his starter for the rest of the 6-10 season.
Kurt Warner #Giants #NFL pic.twitter.com/rWb5KY6umf
— kelly Hammond (@kellyHammo71824) July 12, 2024
Following the year, Warner could have stuck around for 2005, but he had a player option in his contract, and he decided to leave New York.
During his one season as Manning’s tutor, Warner had 2,054 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions.
Warner Becomes a Cardinal

The Arizona Cardinals and head coach Dennis Green were the next to reach out to the former NFL MVP.
20 years ago, we signed the one and only @kurt13warner 🙌 pic.twitter.com/rM1OuSv4XJ
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) March 6, 2025
Shortly after he left the Big Apple, Warner headed to the desert and started for the Cards to begin 2005.
“Here I am, at this point in my career where nobody expects anything,” Warner said. “‘He’s going into the desert to kind of disappear with the Arizona Cardinals, (and) nobody expected anything from them either.'”
He sustained a groin injury partway through the year and was replaced by backup Josh McCown.
When McCown proved ineffective, Green put Warner back under center just in time to meet Warner’s former team, the Rams, on November 20.
He promptly threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-28 win.
Roughly a month later, Warner’s season ended with a partial MCL tear against the Houston Texans.
His first season as a Cardinal produced 2,713 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 10 starts.
Overlooked
With the 10th overall selection in the 2006 NFL Draft, the Cardinals picked USC quarterback Matt Leinart.
Warner beat out the rookie to begin the year and then beat San Francisco in Week 1, 34-27.
He was named the NFC Player of the Week for his 301 yards and three touchdowns.
Unfortunately, Warner struggled the next few weeks and was replaced by Leinart.
Although the Cards limped through the season, the rookie remained under center until Leinart was injured in Week 16.
On this day 15 years ago, @kurt13warner had:
⚪️ 5 TDs
⚪️ 379 yards
⚪️ 29-of-33 passing
⚪️ A wild card win pic.twitter.com/dDKJ9jkLcf— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) January 10, 2025
Warner filled in the next two weeks and ended the year with 1,377 yards, six touchdowns and five picks.
In 2007, new head coach Ken Whisenhunt started Leinart, although he was replaced by Warner in games where Leinart was ineffective.
At that point, Warner was wondering if he was at the end of his career.
“Coming to practice every day, believing you’re the best player and never getting the chance to play, running scout team after being in the league and winning MVPs and going to Super Bowls, it was mentally exhausting,” Warner said. “That’s why retirement came to mind. That was the most frustrating part of my career.”
Near the end of the season, Whisenhunt put Warner under center, and he torched the 49ers in Week 12 with a career-high, single-game best 484 yards.
However, he fumbled in the end zone in overtime leading to San Francisco’s win.
Arizona improved to 8-8, and Warner had 3,417 yards, 27 touchdowns and 17 interceptions while playing most of the season with a torn ligament in his left (non-throwing) elbow.
Revitalized
Despite Warner ending 2007 on a high note, Whisenhunt had both QBs compete for the starter’s job in training camp the following year.
“It was going to be a question every day at training camp – who’s leading, who is winning?” Whisenhunt said. “Kurt had definitely established a little bit of a reputation of running the offense. But we were excited about Matt as a young quarterback too. We didn’t want to forget that.”
When the Cards returned to Phoenix after camp, Whisenhunt named Warner the starter.
For his part, Warner was ready to hit the ground running.
“I believe, at the end of the day, I will be the best player here, and I will not be able to be denied,” Warner said.
Armed with a third-ranked offense that included running back Edgerrin James and receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, the Cards went a respectable 9-7 during the regular season.
Most passing yards in a single season by a Cardinals quarterback:
4,671 — Carson Palmer (2015)
4,614 — Neil Lomax (1984)
4,583 — Kurt Warner (2008)
4,274 — Carson Palmer (2013)
4,233 — Carson Palmer (2016)
3,971 — Kyler Murray (2020)Their passing game was on POINT. pic.twitter.com/lAMYZ6cS1b
— Cardinals Muse (@CardinalsMuse) February 17, 2025
Warner seemed revitalized and passed for 4,583 yards (his second-best career season), 30 touchdowns (which set a franchise single-season record) and 14 interceptions.
“I’ve never seen him nervous. Not on the football field. He might have been, but it never came across to me that he was,” said Fitzgerald.
The quarterback was selected for his fourth Pro Bowl and was also named the Walter Payton Man of the Year for his charity work.
Brink of a Championship
Warner’s season was good, but not a lot of people expected Arizona to advance far in the playoffs.
Instead, the Cards hosted the Atlanta Falcons in the wild-card round and won before crushing the Carolina Panthers on the road, 33-13, in the divisional round.
1/3/09 – In Arizona’s first playoff game since 1999 and first home playoff game since the 1947 League Championship game, the Cardinals defeated rookie Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons 30-24. Kurt Warner (19-32-271), threw TDs to Boldin (71yds) and Fitzgerald (42yds). pic.twitter.com/Q5lUtswOcc
— Arizona Sports History (@AZSportsHistory) January 3, 2026
The Philadelphia Eagles came to town for the NFC Championship, and the Cards continued to shock the world with a 32-25 victory.
Warner became just the second quarterback at the time to start a Super Bowl with two different teams.
Oddsmakers installed the Pittsburgh Steelers as seven-point favorites before Super Bowl XLIII.
Just before halftime, Arizona was driving for a score when Warner’s pass to Boldin was intercepted by Steelers linebacker James Harrison.
Harrison continued running the length of the football field for a 100-yard pick-six and a 17-7 lead.
In the second half, the Cards crawled back with two touchdown passes from Warner to Fitzgerald, including a 64-yard bomb late in the fourth.
Although it didn't end up the game-winner, this Kurt Warner-to-Larry Fitzgerald go-ahead 64-yard #Cardinals touchdown connection with two-and-a-half to play in Super Bowl XLIII had the world gasping.
What a postseason for Fitz! Guy played out of his mind.
February 1, 2009… pic.twitter.com/lOwZqPjYir
— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) February 2, 2025
That score put Arizona up by three.
Pittsburgh then took eight plays to drive 78 yards before QB Ben Roethlisberger connected with receiver Santonio Holmes for a six-yard touchdown and a 27-23 victory.
Despite the loss, Warner threw for 377 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
He was the first quarterback to pass for 300 or more yards in three Super Bowls and his 11 combined postseason touchdown passes tied an NFL record.
One Last Run
Warner returned in 2009 and led the Cards to a 10-6 record, the franchise’s first 10-win season since moving to Arizona from St. Louis in 1988.
He passed for 3,753 yards, 26 touchdowns and 14 picks in 15 starts.
2009: Kurt Warner passed for 302 yards in Arizona’s 28-21 win over Houston. It’s the 50th 300-yard game for Warner in 113 games, making him the fastest to reach 50 in NFL history. pic.twitter.com/ZWhivW92mg
— hoopsjunky (@hoopsjunky54491) October 11, 2024
The QB also experienced highs like completing 24 of 26 passes against Jacksonville and lows such as five interceptions in one game against Carolina.
However, that same day, he became the first signal-caller to pass for over 14,000 yards with two teams.
In Week 16 against the Rams, Warner became the second QB to throw 100 touchdown passes with two different teams.
The Green Bay Packers and quarterback Brett Favre were the Cards’ first opponent in the playoffs.
Wild Card Classic: Packers @ Cardinals 2009
🔥 Kurt Warner: 29-33, 379 yards, 5 TD's & 154.1 rating (More TD passes than incompletions‼️)
🔥 Aaron Rodgers: 28-42, 423 yards, 4 TD's & 121.4 rating (First career playoff start!)
(@kurt13warner) pic.twitter.com/nheECLQIl0
— Four Verts 🏈 (@FourVerticals_) January 9, 2024
Warner only missed on four passes (good for the second-best QB rating for a playoff game in NFL history with 154.1) while slinging the ball for 379 yards and five touchdowns in a 51-45 overtime win.
A week later, the New Orleans Saints chased Warner from the game with a thunderous hit in the first half of a 45-14 blowout win in the Big Easy.
Three years later, the NFL would announce that they found evidence showing the Saints had placed a “bounty” on Warner before the game.
Warner Retires

After 12 years, Warner decided to call it quits.
He could have kept playing, but the injuries and the toll of taking 260 career sacks were too much for his body.
With that, he decided to retire on a high note.
“You want to go out on top, you want to go out never having to be thrown out, never having to be pushed out because you can’t play,” Warner said. “I played as good of football those last three years with the Arizona Cardinals that I did in those three years with the St. Louis Rams,” said Warner.
During his career, Warner passed for 32,344 yards, 208 touchdowns, 128 interceptions, and rushed for 286 yards and three scores, and owns a host of NFL, Rams and Cardinals records.
.@SuperBowl Champion.
2x MVP. @ProFootballHOF Class of '17.The @Kurt13Warner story is something out of a movie. (via @NFLThrowback) #NFL100 pic.twitter.com/D1ZbjwznjT
— NFL (@NFL) June 22, 2019
He was a four-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro, Walter Payton Man of the Year, The Sporting News Athlete of the Year, Super Bowl champ, Super Bowl MVP, two-time NFL passing touchdowns leader, two-time NFL passer rating leader, three-time NFL completion percentage leader, NFL passing yards leader once and two-time NFL MVP.
Additionally, Warner was placed in the Cardinals’ Ring of Honor and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
He is also a member of the Arena Football Hall of Fame, the Iowa Barnstormers Hall of Fame and his number 13 was retired by the Barnstormers.
Life After Football

Warner made plenty of money during his time in the NFL.
However, he and his wife, Brenda, have seven mouths to feed, so he’s kept busy.
The Warner family has always been fueled by faith in God and have immersed themselves in charity and their First Things First Foundation to give back to the community.
Destiny belongs to the underdogs.
Here's a first look at our movie @AmericanUnderdg by @Lionsgate Films in theaters this December! #AmericanUnderdog pic.twitter.com/Dz1frvdY03
— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) July 7, 2021
Kurt Warner has appeared in a number of television shows, and the 2021 movie American Underdog (about Warner’s life) was released with favorable reviews.
“What I’ve found is that 99 percent of people went through something like I went through. Moments where people say there is no chance and you only can believe yourself. It happens in football, but outside of football too. That’s why my story resonates with so many people—because that’s what real life is,” said Warner.
Warner has been an analyst for NFL Network and Fox Sports since 2010.
References
https://www.desmoinesregister.com
https://www.profootballhof.com
https://www.profootballhof.com
https://www.pro-football-reference.com
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