Kurt Warner Has Earned a Spot in the NFL Hall of Fame: Stating His Case

Fans were calling for Kurt Warner to be a candidate for the NFL Hall of Fame last season, arguing that if 2008 was, in fact, his final season, his accomplishments up until that point were enough to warrant his candidacy to join an elite group.

Despite a strong argument for him, naysayers said that it wasn't enough. While it was impressive that Warner had reached three Super Bowls (and won one), he needed to do more.

He needed more time as a starter and more time to prove his worth to beef up his resume.

The critics said, "One more elite season, and he's in. One more Super Bowl, and he's a lock."

Short of a fourth Super Bowl, the argument has gotten stronger.

In fact, it's downright bulletproof. Kurt Warner should be a lock for the NFL Hall of Fame, and even his greatest opposers need to realize it.

But for every handful of Warner supporters, there will always be the few who knock him for his inconsistency during the middle of his career, his ineffectiveness with the New York Giants, and his lack of career stats.

Still, this isn't your average quarterback. And what Warner has done in the NFL is not your average career.

But before we can crown him, promote him, or truly vouch for him, we have to defend him. Here's a strong look at the argument against Warner, as well as all the evidence that supports (and ultimately proves) his worthiness of being sent into Canton.

Why He Shouldn't Go to Canton

The argument is lessening (more like dying), as Warner has put together three-straight elite seasons in Arizona, but before we touch base on his tenure with the Arizona Cardinals (which only helps his cause), we must dissect the five seasons of mediocrity that separated his two stints of fantastic play.

Argument One

The truth is hard to bear, but even the best NFL quarterbacks have to face the facts at times. Due to an injured finger and obvious regression (for whatever reason), Warner faded badly in his final two seasons in St. Louis, giving way to Marc Bulger and effectively ending his career as an elite quarterback (until Arizona happened).

Warner threw just four touchdowns to 12 interceptions in his final two seasons with the Rams, while finishing his last eight games as a starter with a horrendous 1-7 record.

Needless to say, following the 2003 season, Warner was an outcast and appeared headed out of the league.

Argument Two

Despite resurfacing with the New York Giants, Warner was less than spectacular, throwing just six touchdowns to four interceptions, but also guided an average Giants team to a respectable 5-4 record.

The Giants then turned to rookie Eli Manning down the stretch, winning just two more games.

That would be the only season Warner would spend in New York, as he (despite critics thinking otherwise) felt he still had something to give the league as a starter.

Argument Three

The third argument against Warner takes the second argument and runs with it, hinting towards the fact that Warner could have simply been the product of an explosive offensive system in St. Louis, and the possibility existed that Warner wasn't as good as his weapons had made him appear.

Unfortunately for Warner and his supporters, this argument still holds true even up to this season, as Warner has only had elite statistical seasons in which he's had what are arguably "elite" offensive weapons.

With the likes of Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, Larry Fitzgerald, and/or Anquan Boldin being major parts of his offense for all six "elite" seasons he's registered in the NFL, this outwardly weak argument actually has some depth to it.

Argument Four

The fourth and final argument against Warner takes a step away from his abilities as a leader, his accuracy, and his individual seasons, regardless of how impressive they may be.

Despite putting together some of the best seasons the NFL has seen, Warner still has just six seasons under his belt as a full-time starter, and played inconsistent, if not extremely mediocre, football for five straight years, while going in-and-out of New York's and Arizona's starting lineups.

The argument here is that a true Hall of Fame quarterback wouldn't be riding the pine for the better part of a five-year stretch, and that while his six elite seasons are impressive, they don't come close to the longevity we've seen out of Dan Fouts, John Elway, Dan Marino, and/or Brett Favre.

However, the most interesting thing about most of the arguments against Warner are that they almost all work in his favor.

Why He Should Go to Canton

Argument One

The numbers don't lie. In six full seasons as the starter for both the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals, Warner has topped 4,000 yards passing three times, while cracking 3,400 yards through the air all six times.

He's thrown at least 20 touchdowns in all six of those seasons, while notching 26-plus in five and 30-plus in three.

Warner holds the record for most passing touchdowns in the NFC with 41 in 1999 and ranks fifth in history for most touchdowns in a single season.

Warner has also carved a nice niche as one of the most accurate quarterbacks to play the game, as he has managed to complete over 65 percent of his passes in five of his six seasons as a full-time starter, while topping 66 percent in four of those seasons.

While all of his numbers in his first three seasons as a starter in St. Louis are definitely impressive, it's arguably more impressive that he's been playing on such a high level in Arizona, while delivering three straight Pro Bowl-level seasons from the ages of 35-38.

Argument Two

You can knock the guy for getting an injured hand, slipping a bit, and then losing out to a younger, healthier Bulger in St. Louis. You can even knock him for losing out to a younger Eli Manning in New York.

And if you want to be really cruel, you can give him a hard time for failing to completely stay healthy and shake off the likes of Shaun King, Josh McCown, and Matt Leinart when he first started in Arizona.

But you can't take away the fact that no matter where he's been, regardless of the situation, coaching, or weapons, Warner has still been a winner.

Warner reached two Super Bowls with the Rams (winning one), and reached the Super Bowl for the third time in his career with Arizona last season (2008).

Warner helped start the rise of the Rams, creating the "Greatest Show on Turf" and helping the Rams set the record for most points scored in a single season by an NFL team.

Nearly a decade later, Warner did the same thing with the Cardinals, leading them back to the playoffs with a division title, while delivering an NFC Championship after a sensational 3-0 road to the Super Bowl.

He may have a 1-2 record in the big game, but with three appearances, an NFL MVP award, and a Super Bowl MVP award, Warner has more accolades that many of his more famous and prestigious predecessors.

Canton is calling.

Players like Dan Fouts, Dan Marino, Fran Tarkenton, Warren Moon, and Jim Kelly never won a Super Bowl. Yet because of long, successful careers, they have found a place in Canton, Ohio.

There's no doubt those players are deserving. But there is also no doubt Warner is just as deserving.

Fans and experts alike need to stop putting a price on longevity and stats in the league, as players such as Tony Romo and Drew Brees (and others) could very easily put up great numbers every season, but could just as easily end their careers like Dan Marino, without a ring.

Warner has been to the Promised Land (pun intended), and he's returned as a champion. Add the Super Bowl trips and numbers together, and he's a surefire candidate for the Hall of Fame.

Add the fact that he's 38 and just got out of a nail-biting 51-45 overtime win two weeks ago (in which he threw five touchdowns), and you'd be crazy to say he isn't Hall of Fame material.

Because if Kurt Warner doesn't belong in Canton, I'm not sure I know who does.

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