by Greg Boeck, Special to FOXSports.com

"I would say he's a lock (for the Hall of Fame)," said FOX analyst and former coach Johnson.

Only three players have won three MVP awards. Two are in the Hall — Johnny Unitas and Jim Brown. The other, Brett Favre, is on his way. Warner may be next.

NFL Week 9

Week 9 action

ATL 31, WSH 17 -- Recap | Box
ARZ 41, CHI 21 -- Recap | Box
CIN 17, BAL 7 -- Recap | Box
IND 20, HOU 17 -- Recap | Box
JAX 24, KC 21 -- Recap | Box
NE 27, MIA 17 -- Recap | Box
TB 38, GB 28 -- Recap | Box
NO 30, CAR 20 -- Recap | Box
SEA 32, DET 20 -- Recap | Box
SD 21, NYG 20 -- Recap | Box
TEN 34, SF 27 -- Recap | Box
DAL 20, PHI 16 -- Recap | Box
PIT 28, DEN 10 -- Recap | Box

Despite several mediocre years Warner has posted on his otherwise glittering resume, the jury is still out on that debate. But there is little argument that Warner is arguably the most resilient professional athlete in the last decade.

That resiliency — he's one of 17 quarterbacks still at the helm since the start of the season — goes on display Sunday against an apropos opponent, the New York Giants. The team is one of four that gave up on Warner in his remarkable bounce-back career.

Eli Manning replaced Warner in 2004 and led the team to the Super Bowl title in February and a 9-1 record so far this season. And Warner? He's breathing oxygen into a franchise in a coma for decades. At 7-3, the Cardinals have a stranglehold on their first division title since 1975.

"Everything we do from this point forward is about gaining respect," Warner said. "People definitely will be watching to see what kind of team we really have."

In fact, most will be watching to see how Warner is carving up defenses with the precision and cool hand of a surgeon.

"He's a ball machine," said FOX analyst and former player Howie Long.

Much like he did in 1999 when, at 28, he came out of nowhere — the Arena League, NFL Europe and a grocery store where he worked as a stock boy — to win his first MVP award and lead the St. Louis Rams to the Super Bowl title, taking the league by storm and surprise.

Well, at least by storm.

"I don't know that anything surprises me about Kurt," said Giants coach Tom Coughlin.

Manning isn't surprised either.

"He's always been a guy who could play football. He can throw as good as anyone. He prepares very hard and takes football seriously."

Warner's third off-the-charts season has resurrected a franchise — and his own career — fueling MVP and Hall of Fame discussion with numbers that rival the game's best.

He's first in the quarterback ratings (105.5), completions (270) and percentage (70.9) and second in yards (3,155) and touchdowns (20). Career-wise, his passer rating of 94.6 is second only to Steve Young (96.8) and he's topped 300 yards in 45.6 percent of his career games, easily the highest in NFL history.

No quarterback in NFL history has averaged as many yards per game as Warner's 263.7.

"Kurt, mentally, is so far hard of anyone," said Matt Leinart, whose job Warner took this season. "He's so far ahead of the game."

Warner has always read defenses with the deftness of a mind reader and moves offenses downfield with his pinpoint accuracy. A receiving corps led by Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, a solid offensive line and a developing running game have raised his game.

But he's elevated his play to another level as well, notably moving in the pocket, protecting the ball and decision-making with passing.

"That's been the difference this year," said Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt.

Add his gun slinging, never-give-up mentality and Warner has become a story beyond football — right to the next president.

Ask him to explain his stunning season and he says there's nothing to explain.

"It's just going out and playing football," he said. "That's the bottom line. I'm playing football the way I always feel I play football. That's on everybody else to be surprised. I'm not surprised how I'm playing."

He was drafted out of the University of Northern Iowa by the Green Bay Packers but was cut in training camp in 1994.

He finally got his first NFL start with the Rams in 1999. But after getting them to two Super Bowls, he lost his job to Marc Bulger after a six-fumble opener in 2003.

The next season, he was replaced by Manning after a 5-4 start. He signed with the Cardinals in 2005, but was replaced twice — by Josh McCown in 2005 and by Leinart in 2006.

He considered retirement at the time but bounced off the canvas again. Being replaced, he said, is always hard. But Warner has always taken the high road, never rocking the boat or dividing a team.

Warner said he knows people are looking for controversy when quarterbacks are changed. It's human nature.

"They looked at me like that in St. Louis," he said. "I think they did it in New York and here. It's natural. I think people were looking, probably even more so with my situation because of how vocal I am with my faith and the character I've always tried to live my life with, to see if there was a chink in the armor, to see if I'd respond unfavorable."

He never did. No chink in the armor or his game.

"Kurt is never going to give up on anything," Whisenhunt said. "He has a true belief in what he can do. The ones that have that passion that burns are the ones who are so good."

Warner's fire is burning red-hot with no signs of flickering out. The more critics say he can't, he does. The older he gets, the better. The more challenges he faces, the stronger he becomes.

"That's life," said Warner. "We all go through things that aren't fair and don't go in our direction. There's only one way to respond and that's to press in, work harder, persevere and come out the other side. I've never known anything else."

Unbelievable.