Good day. Ready to feel a bit dated? If you are of the “I remember Y2K” age, then boy do we have a story for you.
Out in the AAC this Saturday, Rice’s E.J. Warner will quarterback opposite UTSA’s Owen McCown. Indeed, they are the sons of ex-Cardinals quarterbacks Kurt Warner and Josh McCown, who split starts during Arizona’s 2005 season.
E.J. Warner, a Phoenix Brophy College Prep product, is in his first season at Rice after two years at Temple where he surpassed the 3,000-yard passing mark each season. He’s thrown for 955 yards, seven touchdowns and six picks in 2024.
Owen McCown, who went to high school in Texas, is in his second season with the Roadrunners after starting his college career at Colorado. He’s passed for 1,054 yards, seven touchdowns and two picks so far, completing 62% of his passes this year.
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The two sons of the former Cardinals quarterbacks appeared to be headed on a collision course to play against one another in early October 2023.
Warner was starting for Temple, and McCown got his first start of the season a week prior against Tennessee. But injured UTSA starting quarterback Frank Harris returned from injury to spoil the meeting of the ex-Cardinals’ sons.
The possibility is back on Saturday with a 4 p.m. MST kickoff on ESPN+.
How’d Kurt Warner and Josh McCown split the 2005 season for the Arizona Cardinals?
Arizona under coach Dennis Green took a flier on Warner, who with the New York Giants had lost his starting job the season prior to then-rookie Eli Manning. Warner won the starting quarterback job over McCown, who had been on the Cardinals since 2002 after being drafted in the third round.
McCown had been in a turnstyle of a quarterback situation the year prior with Shaun King and John Navarre also getting opportunities, but Arizona recognized he would provide solid backup insurance despite Warner joining the team.
A minor groin injury to Warner opened the door for McCown to start midway through the season, and McCown handled himself well before Warner was re-inserted. He got hurt again, this time with a knee injury, and McCown finished out the season.
The Cardinals went 5-11 that season.
Arizona went 2-8 in Warner’s starts as he finished with 2,713 yards and 11 touchdowns to nine interceptions.
McCown’s record as a starter was 3-3 as he threw for 1,836 yards, nine touchdowns and 11 picks.
Their careers obviously went different places. Warner eventually found his MVP-type form in Arizona after another injury-plagued season in 2006, pushing the Cardinals to Super Bowl XLIII in 2009 and playing another year after that. He now resides in a TV analyst role.
McCown never became a star, yet he stayed in the NFL through the 2020 season with one year (2010) playing for the Hartford Colonials mixed in.
He got back into the NFL as a quarterback coach last year with the Carolina Panthers and is now coaching the surprising Minnesota Vikings led by quarterback Sam Darnold.