Headed for a Repeat? Arizona Cardinals Get Ready
posted 2009-03-09

By Matt Evans

With the best offense in the NFL last season and a trip to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history, the Arizona Cardinals seem to be making all the right moves to have a much similar season next year.

According to ESPN.com, the Arizona Cardinals and Kurt Warner agreed to a two-year, $23 million deal, with $19 million of the contract guaranteed. Under the terms of the deal, Warner will receive a $15 million signing bonus and $4 million base in each of the two seasons.

Warner took some personal time after the season to decide if he would retire now or in fact come back again next year.

"Probably two days after the Pro Bowl all that was on my mind was football," Warner said. "I told my wife, 'Sorry honey, it's not time."

Warner believes he will “hang ‘em up” when this contract expires.

"You never say never," Warner said. "But I'm old."

There seems to be nothing but love in and around the franchise, as the Cardinals plan for a great upcoming season.

"I love what we've been doing," Warner said. "I love what we've been building here. We're ecstatic about the commitment the organization has made to us. Now it's my job for the next two years to go fulfill my part of the deal."

The love wasn’t all on the player’s behalf. The Cardinals management also had open arms during the contract process.

"We wanted to come up with a number that was fair to Kurt, and to be able to do that within the context of other team objectives," Cardinals general manager Rod Graves said, according to ESPN.com.

Also according to ESPN.com, he [Warner] was willing to take $1 million less a season if the team successfully satisfied the contract extension demands of wide receiver Anquan Boldin. However, that agreement never made it into the final contract.

Boldin, arguably the team’s top receiver, and top- 10 receiver in the NFL, has asked to be traded because he feels the Cardinals failed to follow through on a promise of a new contract a year ago.

According to ESPN.com, Graves said the team still plans to eventually address Boldin's desire for a long-term contract.

If the Cardinals and Boldin can work something out, the NFL needs to be wary of this dangerous team. With the potential signing of Boldin, Arizona would be returning their quarterback (Warner), running back (Tim Hightower) and top three receivers (Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston and Boldin) who all went over 1,000 yards receiving last year.

And don’t forget about the upcoming draft, where if Arizona could get their hands on some top defensive players, they would just be scary next season.