Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart, And The Molding Of A Young Backup QB

It's been about an hour or two after Kurt Warner announced his retirement after 12 seasons.  He's mostly been a premier quarterback with a couple rough patches, but Warner can step away from the game with a Super Bowl ring and many other awards he gained in his career.  While I am interested in Warner's feelings about how he feels leaving his starting quarterback spot with the Cardinals, I'm more curious to see how Matt Leinart feels today, because until Arizona makes a move or drafts someone, it is very possible he might have to fill in for Warner.

Leinart has been incredibly ineffective in the minimal amount of time he's been given to prove himself, and that should really worry Cardinals fans.  So far, he has 14 touchdowns to 20 interceptions with a 57.1% completion percentage.  In a game against the Chicago Bears this past season, he was 0 for 1 in pass attempts, and had one interception.

Arizona fans should not be hitting the panic button too quickly, however.  From an optimist's point of view, the Cardinals still have a dominant team around Leinart, with a cohesive defense and many offensive weapons. 

Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin (if he doesn't leave) are two of the best wide receivers in the league right now, and can catch almost anything someone can throw to them.  Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower create a running game that, while isn't anything to be feared, can be effective frequently and wean the Cardinals off of the pass a little bit.  I feel that as long as Leinart can put that clipboard experience to use and stay focused under pressure, he can possibly keep the Cardinals in contention for the NFC West division title next season.