Kurt Warner is lost and he has lost his confidence.

What other explanation can there be for his pending signing with the New York Giants? Why else would a man 2 years removed from an MVP-season and in the prime of his career, elect to backup Eli Manning - the cornerstone of the Giants' franchise?

Two years ago, Warner was not only a great quarterback but also one that was putting up astronomical numbers that the NFL had never seen. Today he cannot even find a suitor that will give him an opportunity to win the starting job. It seems as though every franchise has adopted the unfounded theory that any young quarterback can come in and lead the franchise to the Superbowl. Tom Brady might be a sixth round draft-pick that becomes a Hall-of-Famer, but he is the exception, not the rule. We all know how often quarterbacks taken with the number 1 overall pick struggle. For every Peyton Manning, there are a dozen Ryan Leafs, Heath Shulers, and Tim Couches.

You can certainly get away with an average quarterback and still be successful, but you need an exceptional defense and a solid running game. The Giants have neither. When Warner was a special player, he was throwing darts to the likes of Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce and Marshall Faulk. Even if Eli Manning is somehow benched mid-season, Warner will find that the trio of Amani Toomer, Ike Hilliard and Tiki Barber present him with a far more challenging situation. Although the Giants have a decent defense, their running game is a big question mark and the offensive line is in a rebuilding phase. This hardly seems like the perfect situation for a quarterback who is coming off a severe concussion.

Warner needs to shake the cobwebs from last season and get his self-confidence back - the self-confidence that Mike Martz stole when he recklessly alternated between Warner and Marc Bulger for the first string position. If Warner is to resurrect his quickly fading career, he needs to put himself in a position to do so. An interesting option would be the Arizona Cardinals. Here Warner would find rookie of the year Anquan Boldin, alongside Larry Fitzgerald and an emerging Bryant Johnson - a group that is arguably the best young receiving corps in the league. Let us not forget that new Cardinals head coach Dennis Green coached the 1998 Minnesota Vikings team that broke several NFL records with its devastating aerial attack. Josh McNown may be penciled in as starter right now but you have to believe that Warner would at least increase competition at the position, if not win the job.

Arizona is just one good fit. Do the Dolphins really think that A.J. Feely or Jay Fiedler are better options than Kurt Warner is? In Dallas, Bill Parcells does not seem to be sold on either Quincy Carter or Chad Hutchinson. Some of these teams are short on cap room. That's why he will have to decide what he really wants - to finish his career on the bench with a clipboard in one hand and a pile of cash in the other, or a with few more trips to Hawaii and maybe even one to the Oval Office.

Kurt will not find what he is looking for in the dark alleys of New York. Instead, he should turn where the sun shines bright, where his glimmer of hope could grow into blinding glory.