ST. LOUIS, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Veteran quarterback Kurt Warner of the St. Louis Rams apparently will not have to worry about changing addresses.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on its web site Tuesday night that the Rams have agreed to pay their star signal-caller a $6 million bonus before Friday's deadline.
"That will officially be exercised within the next 24 hours," Rams President of Football Operations Jay Zygmunt told the newspaper. "Kurt's getting the full $6 million."
Zygmunt also told the paper that the team would not change the $5.3 million base salary the two-time NFL MVP is due in 2003, but would restructure the back end of the contract that runs through 2006.
The $6 million payment all but ensures that Warner will not be released or traded this offseason.
Last week, Coach Mike Martz anointed Warner as the club's 2003 starter ahead of Marc Bulger.
Warner struggled through an injury-plagued 2002 season, going 0-6 as starter. Bulger was impressive in his place, going 6-1 while possessing one of the NFL's top quarterback ratings.
There had been speculation that Warner, who won 35 of his first 43 starts and led the Rams to a Super Bowl title, and another Super Bowl appearance, would be traded or released.
"Let's put it all in perspective for a second," Warner's agent, Mark Bartelstein, told the paper. "Here's a team that since he's shown up has gone to two Super Bowls. Kurt has been to three Pro Bowls. It hasn't been a bad ride here."
