News & Info/Headlines

"You have to say, 'This is our guy, we're going to go with him,"' Warner said. "The two times we went to the Super Bowl I didn't play 16 straight games.

"But you can't always be looking over your shoulder, you just have to go out and play."

Warner, the two-time MVP, learned Monday he would be a healthy backup at least for this week after missing Sunday's overtime victory over the 49ers due to a concussion.

Head coach Mike Martz has been careful not to make a long-term commitment, and he said earlier in the week that he felt a sense of loyalty to Warner, who led the team to two Super Bowls.

So it's been tough on the coach, too, and he bristled at a question of whether Warner accepted the demotion.

"Now, I appreciate his judgement and his opinion, but he's not the head coach," Martz said. "And I'll make those decisions, and I'll make the decision on how I'm going to deal with it."

Warner, winless in his last eight starts dating to the 2001 Super Bowl, even called Bulger to offer his congratulations.

"As disappointed as I was and as much as I wanted the opportunity, I was that excited for Marc," Warner said. "I always point to a scripture in the Bible where it says 'Rejoice when others rejoice and weep when others weep.'

"I want to see him succeed, I want this team to succeed, and that's what prompted me to call him to say 'Hey, I'm in your corner."'

That eased Bulger's mind over taking Warner's job.

"I know Kurt wants to play and how big of a competitor he is," Bulger said. "It's probably killing him inside but he's doing what's best for the team, and if I ever go back to the bench I'd do the same."

Bulger got the job over a healthy Warner for the first time in his career. Last year, he inherited the job after Warner broke his pinky in Game 3.

Warner, meanwhile, will be running the scout team for the second straight week. Last week he was still coming off his concussion.

"It's a whole different mentality to still prepare and be ready when your number is called, but to know you're not going to be the same guy out there," Warner said. "I'll focus a lot on how I can help Marc."

Warner said it's far too soon to start pondering whether this is the end of his run in St. Louis.

"We're only in Week 3 and we've got a long way to go for me to start thinking about next year and the future," Warner said. "We'll just see what God has in store for me down the road."

Also of interest. ...

According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch beat man Jim Thomas, Warner's concussion spelled the end of Kirk Farmer's tenure as the Rams' third quarterback. Farmer has some potential but isn't ready to play in a regular-season game.

For that reason, the team cut Farmer and signed Scott Covington. Covington has a strong arm and some knowledge of the offense after a stint with the team last season.