Warner, Cards need each other

Kurt Warner and the Cardinals are made for each other.

They're peanut butter and chocolate. Warm cookies and cold milk. A Saturday afternoon matinee and a tub of buttered popcorn.

The Cardinals need Warner if they hope to have any chance of getting back to the Super Bowl. Warner needs the Cardinals because they're the best fit for his talents.

It should be so simple. Compromise, sign a contract and move on.

Yet here we are, on the eve of the NFL free agency period, and Warner is about to hit the open market.

It's crazy. It's ridiculous. It's unnerving.

And, as always, it's about money.

Warner wants a two-year deal worth an average of about $14.6 million, which would make him among the top five highest-paid quarterbacks in the league. The Cardinals have countered with a two-year contract worth about $20 million.

So far, neither side has budged.

Usually, it's easy to take sides in a contract negotiation. But in this case, both Warner and the Cardinals are standing on solid ground.

Warner can make a strong case that he's one of the five best quarterbacks in the league. He ranked second in the league in completion percentage (67.1) and passing yards (4,583) and third in touchdowns (30) and passer rating (96.9). Oh, and did we mention he took the Cardinals to the Super Bowl?

For that alone, Warner deserves a key to the Bidwills' vault.

On the other hand, it would be stupid for the Cardinals to get into a bidding war with themselves. Warner will be 38 come June. As brilliant as he was last season, there's a limited market for an aging quarterback. In addition, Warner has narrowed his list of potential suitors.

He doesn't want to play in cold weather - which would seem to eliminate the Chicago Bears and New York Jets - he doesn't want to be part of a rebuilding effort and, most importantly, he's said all along that if he can't return to the Cardinals, he'll likely retire.

So why should the Cardinals increase their offer to, say, $14 million a year if: A) they're certain Warner won't get that kind of money in free agency; and B) he's already stated his preference is to play in Arizona?

For Warner, there's no risk in becoming a free agent. He can shop himself around, and if he can't find a more desirable place to close out his career, the Cardinals' offer will still be on the table.

Arizona, on the other hand, is taking a huge risk. All it takes is for one team to throw huge money at Warner, and he could be gone. What if, for example, the Tennessee Titans believe they have a better chance of getting to the Super Bowl with Warner than Kerry Collins? Or perhaps the Carolina Panthers, tired of Jake Delhomme's inconsistency, make a run at Warner.

"We're encouraged by the fact Kurt wants to be back with us," general manager Rod Graves said at the scouting combine last week. "We're looking forward to getting the deal done sooner rather than later."

Well, later has arrived. Free agency began at 10:01 p.m. Thursday.

What a shame it would be if Warner got away. Any other business the Cardinals conduct in free agency - Karlos Dansby, Adrian Wilson, Anquan Boldin, etc. - will seem irrelevant if they lose their starting quarterback.

And Warner, should he go elsewhere, will regret leaving Larry Fitzgerald and the freedom coach Ken Whisenhunt gave him.

The two sides need each other.

Let's hope they realize it before it's too late.