Stevenson: Should Kurt Warner Retire?

Greetings, it's your old pal McLean Stevenson here, the king of career choices. Being the king allows me to make fun of other people who are making bigger mistakes than I ever did. This is the part where I would link back to my own personal blog. But I don't update my own blog because I have a life.

Just kidding. It's because I'm dead, people. How do you still not get this?

If you look at what Kurt Warner has done to the Arizona Cardinals franchise, that would be enough for one career. He rescued the Cardinals from the depths of the NFL abyss and led the team to the Super Bowl. I tell you, I would be begging my agent to get me the lead in the Kurt Warner Story based on his Cardinals career alone. (I grow some mean stubble.)

But you have to realize that he has raised two franchises from the deep. The St. Louis FC -- I'm am required to say under the THN agreement -- was a middling expansion franchise with a murderous owner before Warner got his opportunity there. Give some love to Rodney Harrison who got them to the Super Bowl by knocking out starter Trent Green.

So Warner has done the near impossible making the St. Louis FC and Cardinals winners. What more do you want from the guy?

I know a thing or two about walking away from a hit. But believe me, if Warner walks away, he isn't walking away from a hit. He would be doing the opposite. The Cardinals were a good story this year. But watch, the penny-pinching owner is going to find a way to send Anquan Boldin out of town. The team won't find a credible replacement for Mike Gandy. No big money for a running back. In other words, the Cardinals will be the Cardinals again. That will end up getting Kurt killed.

There's also this little issue of the Super Bowl loser not making the playoffs the following year. My advice for Kurt would be to retire. Let Matt Leinart take over the team and finish 5-11 next season. Then, Kurt could return the following season, lead them back to the playoffs and enjoy the good life.

Just don't let them write your character out of the show. Believe me, I know all too well.