E.J. Warner: Kurt Warner’s Son, the Undrafted Quarterback His Hall of Fame Father Is Fighting For
Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner took to social media on Tuesday 11 November 2026 with a father’s plea: give his son a chance. Warner, who went undrafted himself in 1994 before winning a Super Bowl and two NFL MVP awards, asked all 32 NFL teams to offer a tryout to his son, quarterback E.J. Warner, who went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft and remains without a professional contract.
Elijah “E.J.” Warner, born 3 November 2003, is the 23-year-old son of Kurt and Brenda Warner. He spent four seasons as a starting college quarterback at Temple, Rice and Fresno State, throwing for 10,844 yards and 71 touchdowns, yet no NFL team has signed him since the draft. His father’s message, posted on X, has turned his son’s quiet wait into one of the most searched sports stories in the United States.
E.J. Warner — Quick Reference Profile
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Full name | Elijah “E.J.” Warner |
| Date of birth | 3 November 2003 |
| Age | 23 (turned 23 on 3 November 2026) |
| Hometown | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Birthplace | Not publicly verified |
| Height / weight | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) / 203 lb, per college roster listings |
| Position | Quarterback |
| High school | Brophy College Prep, Phoenix |
| College teams | Temple (2022–2023), Rice (2024), Fresno State (2025) |
| Famous relation | Son of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner |
| Career college passing | 10,844 yards, 71 touchdowns, 35+ starts |
| Net worth | Not publicly verified |
| Social media | X: @elijah13warner |
Growing Up Warner in Phoenix
E.J. Warner grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, as one of seven children of Kurt and Brenda Warner. His father had already become one of American football’s great stories by the time E.J. was born, rising from stocking shelves in a grocery store and playing Arena Football to leading the St. Louis Rams to victory in Super Bowl XXXIV. The family home was steeped in the game, yet E.J. had to earn his own place in it.
At Brophy College Prep in Phoenix, Warner threw for 2,742 yards and 26 touchdowns in his senior season and led the school into the second round of the 6A state playoffs. He missed almost all of his junior season through injury, a setback that came early and shaped the resilience that would define his college career. He finished his high school career with 3,483 passing yards and 31 touchdown passes.
His siblings include two brothers, Zachary and Kade, and four sisters, Jesse Jo, Jada, and twins Sienna and Sierra. His older brother Kade also pursued professional football, playing at Nebraska and Kansas State. Like James Keach, the younger brother of the late Stacy Keach, E.J. Warner belongs to a family where one famous name opens doors but cannot do the work behind them.
Three Schools, 10,844 Yards and 71 Touchdowns
Warner began his college career at Temple in 2022, where he was named American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year after throwing for 3,028 yards and 18 touchdowns in 11 games. He set a school record with 268 completions in a season and became only the second Temple quarterback to pass for 3,000 yards in a year. A year later he did it again, throwing for 3,076 yards and 23 touchdowns and setting Temple records for passing touchdowns and attempts in a single season.
He transferred to Rice in 2024 and started 11 games, passing for 2,710 yards and 17 touchdowns, a total that ranks fifth in single-season passing yards in the school’s history. Rice University’s official roster page lists his parents as Kurt and Brenda Warner and notes that his father is a Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback. For his final college season in 2025, Warner moved to Fresno State and won the starting job in August after a three-man competition.
At Fresno State he went 7–3 as a starter in 10 games, completing 192 of 277 passes for 2,030 yards, 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He ended his college career in style, earning bowl-game MVP honours as Fresno State beat Miami (Ohio) 18–3 in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl on 27 December 2025 to finish 9–4. Across four seasons and three programmes, his career totals stand at 988 completions from 1,604 attempts for 10,844 yards and 71 touchdowns.
| Season | School | Completions | Passing yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Temple | 268 | 3,028 | 18 |
| 2023 | Temple | 256 | 3,076 | 23 |
| 2024 | Rice | 272 | 2,710 | 17 |
| 2025 | Fresno State | 192 | 2,030 | 13 |
| Career | Three schools | 988 | 10,844 | 71 |
Undrafted in 2026: Minicamps, Rejection and a Father’s Public Plea
The 2026 NFL Draft passed without E.J. Warner’s name being called, mirroring his father’s own experience 32 years earlier. He was one of 33 rookies invited to a tryout at the Denver Broncos’ rookie minicamp in May 2026, and he also impressed at a tryout with the Kansas City Chiefs. Broncos head coach Sean Payton praised his performance, yet neither team offered him a contract, and he has remained without an NFL deal since.
On 11 November 2026, Kurt Warner decided to speak publicly. In a post on X, he wrote: “When I was bouncing around, surviving & playing in every league under the sun… all I ever wanted was a CHANCE… a chance to prove IF I belonged!! Now, I just want someone to give that chance to @elijah13warner so he can prove IF he belongs! After starting 35+ games & throwing for nearly 11k yrds… he deserves at least that chance (definitely deserves it more than I ever did!!” The message was reported by EssentiallySports in Kurt Warner’s public appeal to all 32 NFL teams, and it quickly became one of the most searched sports stories in the United States.
The plea carries weight because Kurt Warner’s own career proves that an undrafted quarterback can become a champion. He went from the Arena Football League to two NFL MVP awards, a Super Bowl title and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His argument is not that his son deserves a roster place, only that he deserves the same opportunity to prove himself that he once begged for.
The Warner Name in St. Louis and a Possible Battlehawks Future
If the NFL door stays shut, another one has opened in the city where his father built his legend. In late October 2026, the St. Louis Battlehawks of the UFL posted on X: “We do love some Warner football in St. Louis. Would you want to see E.J. Warner land with the Battlehawks in the 2027 UFL Draft?” Kurt Warner replied: “IDK about anyone else, but I would!!!!”
The 2027 UFL Draft is scheduled for 18 November 2026 in downtown St. Louis, with the Battlehawks holding the fifth overall pick. The league has become a genuine route back to the NFL, with 23 players from the 2026 UFL season signing NFL contracts afterwards. For E.J. Warner, St. Louis offers more than nostalgia: it is the city where his father’s name still carries real affection, and where a strong spring season could earn him the NFL look his father is asking for.
What E.J. Warner Is Worth — and What He Is Not
E.J. Warner’s net worth is not publicly verified, and no reliable figure exists for it. He has never signed a professional contract, so he has earned no NFL salary, and no verified endorsement or name, image and likeness earnings have been reported for him. Any figure attached to his name online is guesswork, not fact.
That distinction matters because his father’s wealth is often confused with his own. Kurt Warner earned tens of millions of dollars across a 12-season NFL career with the Rams, New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals, but that money belongs to his father, not to his son. E.J. Warner’s financial story is still unwritten, and it will be decided by whether a team gives him the chance his father asked for on 11 November 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is E.J. Warner?
E.J. Warner is an American football quarterback and the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner. He played college football at Temple, Rice and Fresno State, throwing for 10,844 yards and 71 touchdowns across four seasons.
Why is Kurt Warner asking NFL teams to sign his son?
E.J. Warner went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft and received no contract after tryouts with the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos. On 11 November 2026, his father posted on X asking all 32 NFL teams to give his son a chance to prove himself.
Which colleges did E.J. Warner play for?
He played at Temple in 2022 and 2023, Rice in 2024, and Fresno State in 2025, starting games at all three schools and winning American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year honours at Temple.
What are E.J. Warner’s career college statistics?
He completed 988 of 1,604 passes for 10,844 yards and 71 touchdowns, with 35 or more starts across his four college seasons.
Could E.J. Warner join the UFL?
He is a candidate for the 2027 UFL Draft on 18 November 2026, and the St. Louis Battlehawks have publicly shown interest in selecting him. His father has said he would welcome the move.
Myth-busting: It is false that E.J. Warner was drafted by an NFL team — he went undrafted in 2026 and has no professional contract. It is also false that his father bought him a roster place — no team has signed him, and Kurt Warner’s appeal asks only for a tryout, not a guaranteed spot.
