Warner travels to 49ers complex
Kurt Warner accomplished two things Monday during his visit to the San Francisco 49ers.
He took a physical and he also took the time to see what it would be like to be in a 49ers uniform. Accompanied by his wife Brenda, Warner spent the afternoon and early evening at the 49ers headquarters and was scheduled to fly back to Phoenix.
The 49ers sent a private jet Monday for the two-time MVP quarterback, who traveled from Phoenix to the team's training complex for a physical exam and a meeting with top brass.
After flying into Silicon Valley, Warner arrived at the 49ers' training complex by limousine shortly before lunchtime with his wife. He had lunch and a meeting with general manager Scot McCloughan, coach Mike Singletary and likely owner Jed York before traveling to Stanford Hospital for his exam.
Warner returned to the complex in a Cadillac driven by 49ers athletic trainer Jeff Ferguson at about 4 p.m. Warner mouthed the words "I'm not talking" through the window to reporters as they drove through a security gate.
The Warners were expected to fly home Monday night, but McCloughan and York indicated they might have dinner plans or further discussions before he returned to Phoenix.
"It's still up in the air," McCloughan said while leaving the complex about 30 minutes before Warner departed in a stretch Range Rover limousine. "We're very excited he's willing to come visit us and possibly be a 49er. ... He's a very classy guy, and you can see why he's been so successful in his career, the way he carries himself."
Warner's agent, Mark Bartelstein, told ESPN.com's John Clayton the 49ers are interested in the quarterback, but he declined to say whether Warner receive an offer. Bartelstein said he did not hear from the Cardinals, whose last offer was reportedly two years and $20 million. Warner wants $14 million to $16 million a year.
According to the source, the Cardinals' offer is $10 million in 2009 with an option bonus for $10 million in 2010. There are not any guarantees in the contract, so it is effectively a one-year deal at $10 million if the Cardinals don't want to bring him back in 2010.
With talks stalled between Warner and the Cardinals, the 37-year-old agreed to meet with the 49ers. The have been in discussions since Friday morning.
NFC West rival San Francisco, which finished two games behind the Cardinals in second place last season, has enough salary cap room to accommodate his salary wishes. With no established starting quarterback on the 49ers' roster, the club has rolled out its red-and-gold carpet to entice Warner.
Singletary has been unwilling to designate veteran Shaun Hill as his starter for next season even after Hill led San Francisco to five wins in its final seven games and a 7-9 record that knocked the interim tag off Singletary's title.
Alex Smith, the injury-plagued former No. 1 draft pick, is working on restructuring his contract to stay with the 49ers, who will release him if they can't reach a deal with a much lower base salary than the $9 million in his current contract.
The 49ers might not be the ideal fit for Warner, who would leave a lineup with star receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin to join a run-based offense with no proven pass-catchers -- although Warner's arrival might persuade longtime Rams teammate Isaac Bruce to put off retirement for another season.
San Francisco's biggest signing Monday also pointed to another reason Warner might not be perfectly suited for the Niners. Fullback Moran Norris signed a three-year contract to return to the 49ers, who have repeatedly said they plan to build a run-first offense around running back Frank Gore and new coordinator Jimmy Raye.
But Warner met with Raye and quarterbacks coach Mike Johnson on Monday afternoon, talking football and weighing his options.
"We just said hello," York said of his interaction with Warner. "He's a great guy, class act, great person."
John Clayton is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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