Arizona has a better chance with Warner

By: Byron Parker

If you're a Matt Leinart fan, it would probably be difficult to find a reason for him to be the starter for the 08-09 NFL season. Sure you could say that "he's the future" and "he needs to play in order to get better," but that isn't the mindset that Ken Whisenhunt is in. With Leinart only in his 3rd year and yet to show signs of improvement, it's best to sit him for a minimum of this season.

Whisenhunt is showing that he wants to win now and his team is close to doing just that. After finishing with an 8-8 record last season, allowing Leinart to start this season would be a step back for this franchise. Warner has basically turned this team into a contender on his own, based upon what he was able to do last season without starting all 16 games. It's possible to make a case that last year was one of his best statistical seasons; Warner finished the season with 27 touchdowns and 3,417 passing yards--not bad for a 37 year old, right?

Leinart has been ineffective since being drafted and he has yet to show NFL fans the Leinart that led the USC Trojans to three National Championship games. This however, doesn't make him a bust like some would like to begin to label him as. Leinart is still young and has really been in some strange situations during his tenure as a Cardinal. He really had a lot of pressure on him by being looked upon as the future of the franchise. Leinart didn't have anybody to sit behind during his young career and that forced him to become the go-to-guy for this team. But when it comes to playing in the NFL, Leinart is still a bit immature on the field--and if you type his name in the google image search, he may be a little immature off the field as well. Nonetheless, Leinart just needs sometime to learn the NFL and he can do that behind Warner.

Leinart's a cool guy, and that makes everybody want to see him succeed in the NFL. That will happen eventually, but the truth is that it won't happen now. Everybody wants to see him become the quarterback that he is supposed to be, but it will take time for him. That's the mistake that some franchises make when developing a quarterback. They sometimes get selfish and want to shine the spotlight on their quarterback to better the image of the franchise. But if you're a GM, that's not the route to go if you want to have you're quarterback mentally stable for the future.

Fortunately, Whisenhunt has realized that and decided to make the best decision by starting Warner. With the organization realizing that they are "potential" contenders in the NFC West, they feel that they have a better chance at winning with Warner at the starting QB position. I mean, it's kind of hard to turn down a guy who was a Super Bowl MVP and has been selected to three Pro Bowls, especially when he's competing with a quarterback who still has yet to prove anything in this league.