Could Kurt Warner Still Contribute to an NFL Team?

When retired NFL quarterback Kurt Warner took part in his first NFL training camp—with the Green Bay Packers in 1994—both Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston were infants, while Teddy Bridgewater, Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles and Derek Carr were toddlers. 

Yes, Warner, who will turn 44 this summer, is an old man by football terms. Only three position players in NFL history have played at Warner's current age, and all of them—Steve DeBerg, Warren Moon and Vinny Testaverde—were quarterbacks. 

Warner also tweeted this month that a team approached him about a private workout, something he later chalked up as an April Fools' Day joke. But that was enough to cause me to wonder if the two-time MVP could indeed still help an NFL roster. 

Is Warner, at this very moment, one of the best 32 quarterbacks in the country? What about top 64? Technically, that's all you'd need to know in order to rationalize signing him, assuming he'd be willing to give it a shot. 

But let's set aside Warner's intentions. He noted he would have considered coming back if asked last season, so there's at least some smoke there. If the stars were to align and he was to get another shot at the league, could Warner hold his own? 

From an age and experience standpoint, it's not unprecedented

Quarterbacks typically have longer shelf lives than players at other non-kicking positions. Reigning Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady turns 38 this summer and 2013 MVP Peyton Manning just turned 39. 

Beyond that, three quarterbacks—Moon, Testaverde and Brett Favre—have started 10-plus games after turning 40, with Testaverde starting six games as a 44-year-old with the Carolina Panthers in 2007. 

It's also important to consider that Warner didn't make an NFL start until he was 28 years old. Thus he presumably has more tread on his tires than other guys who took beatings over longer careers. More than a quarter of the league's active starting quarterbacks have more career starts than Warner.

Quarterback	Age	Year	Notes
Steve DeBerg	44	1998	1 start with Falcons
Kurt Warner*	44	2015	Could it happen?
Warren Moon	44	2000	1 start with Chiefs
Vinny Testaverde	44	2007	6 starts with Panthers
Doug Flutie	43	2005	Backup with Patriots
Earl Morrall	42	1976	Backup with Dolphins
Mark Brunell	41	2011	Backup with Jets
Brett Favre	41	2010	13 starts with Vikings

Interestingly, like Warner, Moon didn't become a regular NFL starter until he was 28.  

Mind the gap

Working strongly against Warner's comeback chances is the fact he hasn't played NFL football in nearly six years. This wouldn't be a Michael Jordan or Mario Lemieux comeback. Jordan missed less than two years before returning in his early 30s, while Lemieux was retired for three years at around the same age. 

DeBerg was retired four seasons before making his comeback as insurance for Chris Chandler on the Atlanta Falcons in 1998. He had one spot start and threw 59 passes that year, but that's the closest comparison there is to Warner's potential situation. 

There's also Deion Sanders, who, after three years away from the game, played a contributing role as a member of the Baltimore Ravens in 2004 and 2005. Still, that was a lot less time away and Sanders was "only" 37 when he came back. 

Warner looks as though he's staying in shape and looked pretty spry throwing routes to Chris Givens and Tavon Austin at St. Louis Rams training camp last summer. But five years away from NFL action at that age is virtually unprecedented, so it's still hard to imagine Warner being able to contribute consistently as a starter right now. 

Still, you'd be foolish to count Warner out. This is a guy who had to work in a grocery store, as a graduate assistant and had to spend three years in the Arena Football League before getting his first real shot at the NFL, and yet he walked away with three Super Bowl appearances on two different teams—the final one coming when he was 37 years old in 2008. 

Supply and demand 

You also have to consider how shallow the quarterback talent pool looks right now. The reality is that since Warner retired, the vast majority of early-round draft picks at that position have failed to become reliable starters. Among the 17 quarterbacks drafted in Round 1 since 2009, only four—Matthew Stafford, Cam Newton, Andrew Luck and Ryan Tannehill—have clearly delivered. And even those guys have had their issues. 

Quarterback	Age	Starts
Peyton Manning	39	256
Tom Brady	37	207
Drew Brees	36	201
Eli Manning	34	167
Ben Roethlisberger	33	158
Philip Rivers	33	144
Carson Palmer	35	143
Tony Romo	34	123
Jay Cutler	31	119
Kurt Warner	43	116

With passing numbers exploding, having a quality quarterback and a solid backup have never been more important. It's almost impossible to sustain success in this era without consistent play under center, and the newbies just haven't been getting the job done. 

As a result, teams are desperate. Maybe even desperate enough to see if they can convince Warner to ditch his new job as offensive coordinator at Desert Mountain High School in Scottsdale, Arizona. 

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL for Bleacher Report since 2012.

Follow @Brad_Gagnon