RANKING THE TOP 5 ARIZONA CARDINALS QUARTERBACKS OF ALL TIME

It's a well-known fact that the Arizona Cardinals have never won a Super Bowl. In fact, they've only appeared in the Big Game once. That came following the 2008 season when a resurgent Kurt Warner, who'd won a pair of NFL MVP trophies and a championship with the St. Louis Rams, guided them to a berth in Super Bowl 43 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who outlasted the Cards in a 27-23 thriller.

Warner had a magical season with the Cardinals that year and ultimately spent five years with the organization after taking the NFL world by storm during his time with the Rams. We took a look back at the all-time great quarterbacks in Cardinals history and narrowed the list to five. Where does Warner stand among the top five quarterbacks in Cardinals history?

Kurt Warner

Kurt Warner led the Cardinals to their lone Super Bowl berth

Even though Kurt Warner's time with the Cardinals was relatively short, he landed atop the franchise's list of best quarterbacks. He has the unique distinction of being not only the top quarterback in Cardinals history but the best QB in Rams history as well.

It took some time for Warner to adjust to QB life in Arizona. He went 2-8 in 10 starts in his first season in 2005 and then followed up with a 1-4 mark as the starter in 2006. He went 5-6 in 2007 before heating up in 2008.

Warner started all 16 games and went 9-7. For the third time in his career, he led the NFC in passer rating and threw for 4,583 yards and 30 touchdowns. After defeating the Atlanta Falcons in Arizona's first playoff game in a decade, Warner led the Cards to a road victory over the Carolina Panthers. In the NFC title game, the two-time MVP threw four touchdown passes in a win over the Philadelphia Eagles to vault the Cardinals into the Super Bowl.

Against the Steelers, he completed 72.1% of his passes and threw for 377 yards, but it wasn't enough as the Steelers pulled out the victory.

Warner went 27-30 in his five years with the Cardinals and threw for 15,843 yards, which ranks fifth on the franchise's all-time list. One might be surprised to know that's nearly 1,500 more yards than he had in six years with the Rams.

Jim Hart

Jim Hart remains the Cardinals' all-time passing leader with 34,639 yards

You could certainly make a case that Jim Hart is the top quarterback in Cardinals history because of his longevity with the team. Hart played 18 seasons with the then-St. Louis Cardinals and went 87-88-5. He made four straight Pro Bowls from 1974 to 1977, going 38-18 during that stretch.

Hart had just five winning seasons as the regular starter in his 18 years in St. Louis. In 1974, he led the NFL in passing attempts (388) and threw for 2,411 yards and 20 touchdowns, a career-high.

In 1978, Hart threw for a career-best 3,121 yards. After his 18 years with the Cardinals, he hooked on with Washington for the 1984 season, but he appeared in just two games and threw a total of only seven passes.

Hart is far and away the franchise's all-time leader in passing yards with 34,639 and also leads the way in touchdown passes with 209.

Neil Lomax

Neil Lomax put together two Pro Bowl seasons during the 1980s

Neil Lomax replaced Hart in the early 1980s and played all eight of his NFL seasons in the Cardinals organization, the first seven in St. Louis and the last in 1988 when they became the Phoenix Cardinals.

Lomax was drafted by the Cardinals in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft and became the team's full-time starter in the strike-shortened 1982 season, starting all nine games and going 5-4. In '83, he went 7-5-1 in his 13 starts.

Lomax had the first of his two Pro Bowl seasons in 1984 when he started all 16 games and went 9-7. Statistically, he had his best season as he threw for a career-high 4,614 yards and a career-best 28 touchdown passes. His 61.6% completion percentage was also the best of his career.

Lomax's second Pro Bowl season came in 1987, when he led the NFL in passing yards with 3,387 in 12 games. He was forced to retire from the NFL after the 1988 season because of a bad hip.

Lomax is second on the Cardinals' all-time passing list with 22,771 yards and is also second to Hart in career touchdown passes with 136. During his eight seasons in the Cardinals organization, Lomax compiled a record of 47-52-2.

Carson Palmer

Carson Palmer put up some big numbers late in his career with the Cardinals

While many remember Carson Palmer from his days with the Cincinnati Bengals, he played five seasons in Arizona. He suited up for the Cardinals for the first time in 2013 after getting traded from the Oakland Raiders.

In his first year with the Cards, he started all 16 games, posting a 10-6 record, and threw for 4,274 yards and added 24 touchdown passes. In 2014, he went 6-0 as a starter but tore his ACL (for the second time in his career) and was limited to those six games. He returned to start all 16 games for the Cardinals in 2015 and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl.

With Palmer under center, the Cardinals went 13-3. Palmer had the best statistical season of his career, throwing for a career-high 4,671 yards and a career-best 35 touchdown passes. He finished second in the MVP voting to Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. The Cardinals lost to Newton and the Panthers in the NFC title game, falling 49-15.

While Palmer put up big numbers in 2016, throwing for 4,233 yards and 26 touchdowns, he went 6-8-1 as the starter. In Palmer's five seasons with the Cardinals, he went 38-21-1. He is fourth on the team's all-time passing list with 16,782 yards.

Charley Johnson

Charley Johnson was a winner for the Cardinals, going 36-28-5 as a starter

Charley Johnson was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 10th round of the 1960 NFL Draft. He became the team's starter for the 1962 season and went 3-6-1 in his 10 starts.

He blossomed the following season, earning Pro Bowl honors for the only time in his career as he guided the Cardinals to a 9-5 mark, throwing for 3,280 yards and tossing 28 touchdown passes. In 1964, he led the NFL with 3,045 passing yards as the Cardinals went 9-3-2. He also led the league in interceptions that season with 24.

Johnson played 15 seasons in the league, the first nine with the Cardinals. He spent two years with the Houston Oilers after leaving the Cardinals following the 1969 season and played four seasons with the Denver Broncos to close out his career.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.

With the Cardinals, Johnson went 36-28-5 as the starting quarterback. His 14,928 passing yards put him seventh on the franchise's all-time leader list.

2024-04-22T06:27:58Z dg43tfdfdgfd