Rams’ Warner shakes off sore hand

St. Louis quarterback says ailing throwing hand 'just a pain-tolerance type thing'

? When Kurt Warner showed up in the locker room with his throwing hand wrapped in a plastic bag filled with about a pound of ice Wednesday, it looked like more quarterback woes for the St. Louis Rams.

They already lost the NFL’s MVP for five games with a broken pinkie, and backup Marc Bulger, who led the team to a 5-0 record in Warner’s absence, was a wounded No. 3 quarterback last week with a sprained right index finger that limited his effective range to about 10 yards. Jamie Martin, who began the year as the backup, injured his knee in his only start in Week 5.

The day after the Rams’ 20-17 loss to the Redskins, coach Mike Martz said Warner’s hand looked like a “catcher’s mitt.”

But by Wednesday the swelling had gone down considerably, and the ice was more of a precaution for a player who perhaps paid a physical price after missing close to two months.

Warner threw just fine in practice despite the sore hand, on long balls, short balls and in-between. He didn’t take any snaps, though, to minimize any jarring, and he also shared reps with Martin.

“It’s just a pain-tolerance type thing,” Warner said after practice. “When you’re out there throwing you don’t really think about the pain factor and you’re able to fight through it.

“It hurts when you’re standing on the sideline, but when you’re out there it really isn’t that bad.”

Martz said team doctors had expected soreness when Warner resumed throwing on a daily basis.

“They knew this was going to happen,” Martz said. “Fortunately, it’s not anything that’s going to deter him from playing.”

Still, Warner will be listed as probable on the injury report. Just in case.

Warner said the surgically repaired finger didn’t bother him a bit on Sunday, when he was 34-for-49 for 301 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. But he constantly rubbed on the hand.

“It got pretty sore and I don’t really know what it was,” Warner said while fidgeting with the ice bag. “It was tight. I was trying to just work it and keep it loose throughout the game.”

Warner doesn’t remember the hand taking a hit, but Martz believes he may have fallen on it early in the game.

Losing Warner would have been especially tough now because Bulger still is not able to throw effectively. Martz said Bulger tried to throw a little bit earlier Wednesday, but stopped when it quickly became apparent it was futile. Martin, who started the Rams’ loss to the 49ers in Week 5 before injuring his knee, likely will be the backup on Sunday at Philadelphia.

“If Marc had to play he probably could play, but he’s awfully tender,” Martz said. “Could he practice? He probably could, but it would set him back to where you may lose him for a few more weeks.”

Warner appeared to be still kicking himself over fumbling at the Redskins 6 at the end of Sunday’s game, with the Rams apparently closing in on a come-from-behind victory. He already appeared to be wearing his game face.

“You want to just walk though life without any injuries, you want to feel good every time you come in, and you want to win every game,” Warner said. “It’s definitely not the situation I want to be in, but at the same time you’ve got to enjoy the challenge and you’ve got to love the opportunity.”

“That’s what’s got to excite you and keep you going, although you would love it to be all roses and all perfect for you.”