Given injuries to Marc Bulger and Kyle Boller, Keith Null (who? . . . precisely) has inherited the starting quarterback job in St. Louis.
And Null will get the nod for the third time on Sunday when the Rams face the Cardinals, who are quarterbacked by a man who became a star in a blue helmet with gold/yellow then gold/gold horns.
Null sees similarities between himself and Warner, given that they entered the league as unknowns.
“Yeah, our stories are really similar in that fact,” Null said earlier this week. “He didn’t get drafted. We both bagged groceries for a time -- mine was only two weeks though. There are so many things that are very similar so that is cool.” (Of course, Null bagged groceries for only two weeks because he “couldn’t stand it.”)
For now, however, the similarities end with the superficialities. In his first two NFL starts, Null hasn’t won a game -- and his passer rating is a JaMarcusesque 50.1.
But at least the whole undrafted/grocery store thing gives Null an icebreaker for when he sees on the field a player he has idolized. When they meet, Null shouldn’t expect Warner’s face to project recognition or admiration.
“I don’t know a lot about him,” Warner said this week in a conference call with St. Louis reporters. “I can’t say that I’ve really seen him play much. I guess I’m kind of at a loss. I don’t know a lot about him at this point in time.”
Told that Null also bagged groceries, Warner said, “He’s going to have a bright career I’m sure, if he was part of that.”
If Warner was being sarcastic, then that was a really good response.