Kurt Warner Net Worth (Money & Salary)

Kurt Warner’s Net Worth, Salary, and Career Earnings: What Are They?

A retired American football quarterback and analyst, Kurt Warner has accumulated a net worth of $30 million. He is most famously associated with his performances at the St. Louis Rams and the Arizona Cardinals. An epitome of the underdog story, Warner began his career as an undrafted free agent, ultimately rising to win the MVP award twice. He also claimed the Super Bowl MVP Award. His journey is regarded as one of the most motivating and heartwarming narratives in the history of the NFL.

Warner’s college football career took place at Northern Iowa, where he played for three years. Following that, he faced a four-year stretch without a team willing to sign him. In 1994, he was briefly signed by the Green Bay Packers but was released before the regular season kicked off. After a period in the Arena Football League, Warner got his opportunity when he joined the Rams in 1998. Starting as a backup quarterback, he transitioned to a starting role in the next season, leading the team to their first Super Bowl title. He maintained a high performance level throughout the remainder of his career, culminating in a Super Bowl appearance in 2008 with the Cardinals.

Being classified as an undrafted player, he stands out as one of the NFL’s remarkable success stories. To this day, he is the lone undrafted player to secure both the NFL MVP Award and the Super Bowl MVP Award. Furthermore, he is the first undrafted quarterback to guide his team to a Super Bowl victory, a feat that no other quarterback has accomplished in their inaugural year as a starter. In 2017, he received induction into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Arena Football Hall of Fame, an unprecedented accomplishment.

Career Earnings

Throughout his NFL tenure, Warner earned over $62.7 million in salary, with additional millions generated from endorsements.

Early Life

Kurtis Eugene Warner was born on June 22, 1971, in Burlington, Iowa. He showcased his potential as a promising football player during high school in Cedar Rapids. After his graduation in 1989, he enrolled at the University of Iowa, where he played for the Panthers, initially serving as their third-string quarterback until his senior year. After acquiring a starting position, he was honored with the Offensive Player of the Year Award from the Gateway Conference.

Career

Warner’s NFL journey didn’t commence smoothly. He went undrafted in the 1994 Draft and was subsequently released by the Green Bay Packers after attending their training camp. Following this setback, he found employment at a grocery store in Cedar Falls, earning $5.50 per hour. Nevertheless, he remained involved in professional football, assuming a role as a graduate assistant coach at Northern Iowa. In 1995, he signed with the Arena Football League to join the Iowa Barnstormers, emerging as one of the league’s standout talents, leading Iowa to two consecutive Arena Bowl appearances.

This impressive performance caught the attention of the St. Louis Rams, who signed him. Warner then played briefly in NFL Europe before returning to the United States. Similar to his early days at Northern Iowa, he started as the third-string quarterback. However, after a shift in the lineup due to the 1999 NFL Expansion Draft, he quickly ascended to the second-string role behind Trent Green, who was soon sidelined with a torn ACL, allowing Warner to finally step into the starting position he had long awaited.

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The entire league was shocked by his performance. With 4,353 throwing yards, 40 touchdown passes, and a 65.1% completion rate, he led the Rams’ offense, which earned the moniker “The Greatest Show on Turf,” to a Super Bowl triumph that year. The victory was sealed after Kurt delivered a game-winning, 73-yard touchdown pass in the closing moments of the game.

A $47-million contract with the Rams was signed by Warner in 2000. However, during the season, he suffered a broken hand, but with Trent Green stepping in, the Rams achieved the highest number of passing yards in NFL history, racking up 5,232 yards. Kurt rallied the team to another Super Bowl in 2001, although they fell short of the championship. Nevertheless, that season, he did secure his second NFL MVP Award.

In 2005, he changed teams again, this time joining the Arizona Cardinals on a one-year contract worth $4 million. Coach Dennis Green expressed complete confidence in his new quarterback. Initially given the starting role, Warner was soon benched after three underwhelming games. However, he reclaimed his starting position and led the Cardinals to a victory over his former team, throwing three touchdown passes and achieving a quarterback rating of 115.9, defeating the Rams 38-28.

Encouraged by this performance, the Cardinals extended his contract for three more years at $18 million. Over the next few years, his performances remained strong, culminating in a Super Bowl appearance for the Cardinals in 2008. Following a serious injury in 2009, Warner retired in 2010, transitioning into broadcasting as an analyst for the NFL Network. He also joined Fox Sports and worked for Westwood One as a substitute analyst for Monday Night Football. In 2018, he took on the role of a full-time radio analyst.

Real Estate

In 2013, it was reported that Warner had sold his home in Paradise Valley, an affluent suburb of Phoenix, for $2.5 million. This luxurious residence offered over 11,000 square feet of living space along with seven bedrooms. Key features included a modern spiral staircase and a pool complemented by a waterfall.

Personal Life

Kurt met Brenda Carney Meoni, who would become his wife, during college, and they tied the knot in October 1997. He adopted her two children from a prior marriage, and together they have five more children. Their son E.J. played quarterback for the Temple Owls, while another son, Kade, played for the Kansas State Wildcats before being signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in April 2023.