Warner Stays Ahead of Leinart

Kurt Warner will remain the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, Coach Dennis Green said Tuesday.

Green’s comment came in a statement released by the team after an ESPN report that Green had decided to replace Warner with rookie Matt Leinart, the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner from USC, for Sunday’s game at Atlanta.

“Generally talking about the starting lineup is not something we do,” Green said. “However, given the speculation that was out there we want to make it clear. We’re disappointed after last week, but we still expect to be a playoff football team and we fully expect Kurt Warner to be the quarterback that leads us. That has not changed.”

Warner had three passes intercepted, two of them with Arizona inside the St. Louis 14, and fumbled a snap at the St. Louis 18 with 1:46 to go in the Cardinals’ 16-14 home loss to the Rams on Sunday.

At his regular Monday news conference, Green declined to confirm Warner would remain as a starter.

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The University of Phoenix, the nation’s largest private university, will pay the Cardinals $154.5 million over the next 20 years to put its name on the Cardinals’ new $455-million stadium at Glendale, Ariz.

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San Diego Chargers strong safety Terrence Kiel was arrested for investigation of drug-related offenses, ESPN.com reported.

Kiel was booked and released after posting $150,000 bond, the website reported Tuesday night, citing sources it did not name. He was arrested for investigation of possession, transportation of a controlled substance and possession for sale, ESPN.com reported.

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Tampa Bay quarterback Chris Simms was moved from the intensive care unit to a medical recovery floor of a hospital in Tampa, Fla., two days after his spleen was removed.