49ers deny making offer to Warner
John Crumpacker, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
(03-03) 21:41 PST -- To borrow from a few other sports, Kurt Warner failed to hit a home run, but the ball is nevertheless in his court and it's time to putt or get off the green.
The free-agent quarterback from the Arizona Cardinals came away from his visit with the 49ers on Monday "tremendously impressed" if not with a specific contract offer in hand.
The 49ers said no offer was made to Warner while the player's agent said a "concept" was arrived at during his visit with the team.
"We have a concept in mind that both of us are comfortable with," Mark Bartelstein said. "He was tremendously impressed with the 49ers. You couldn't be more impressed with their presentation. The 49ers were sensational.
"Kurt has a tough decision to make in the next day or two."
There were reports that the 49ers offered more than the $23 million presentation Bartelstein took to the Cardinals on Warner's behalf. General manager Scot McCloughan of the 49ers said no offer had been made.
In any event, the story has returned to Arizona. Warner proposed a $23 million offer to the Cardinals, with $12 million guaranteed ($6 million in 2009 and $6 million in 2010) and the enticement of surrendering $2 million over the length of the deal if Arizona re-signs wide receiver Anquan Boldin.
That, more than anything else, indicates where Warner wants to play his football in 2009.
Reiterating Warner's desire to remain in Arizona, Bartelstein told the Arizona Republic, "Kurt's heart is still here."
Free-agent defensive end Demetric Evans of the Washington Redskins visited Tuesday. He did not sign but might today.
Evans is in his eighth year from Georgia. J.T. O'Sullivan, San Francisco's starting quarterback for the first 7 1/2 games of last season, paid a free-agent visit to Cincinnati on Tuesday.
E-mail John Crumpacker at jcrumpacker@sfchronicle.com.
This article appeared on page D - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle
Calendar