Kurt Warner took a job stocking grocery store shelves in Iowa after his first rejection from the National Football League, just one of the stops on Warner’s unorthodox path to stardom. There was no stint at a top college or selection in a high draft round. Instead, Warner wound through the backwaters of the Arena Football League and the now-defunct N.F.L. Europe.

But on Friday, when Warner retired after a dozen years in the N.F.L., he went out as a possible future Hall of Fame selection, having built an extraordinary career with one Super Bowl title and two league Most Valuable Player awards from an out-of-nowhere start and stunning resilience.

Warner walked away with a year remaining on a two-year, $23 million contract, and he displayed as much dignity during his exit as he did during the twists and turns of his playing years.

In 1998, the St. Louis Rams gave Warner the break he needed. Having signed him the previous December, they allocated him to N.F.L. Europe, where he led the league in several statistical categories. By 1999, the Rams had made him the backup to Trent Green. When Green tore a knee ligament during the preseason, the unknown quarterback was thrust into the starting job, and the Greatest Show on Turf was born. He was the league and Super Bowl most valuable player that season. He was the league’s M.V.P. again two years later, when the Rams lost the Super Bowl in the final seconds to a burgeoning dynasty from New England.

He played poorly in 2002 and was replaced as the starter after being sacked six times and sustaining a concussion against the Giants to start the 2003 season. He was written off as a has-been. In 2004, the Giants signed him, and he won five of his first seven games. But a two-game losing streak opened the door to the Eli Manning era, and Warner was washed up once more.

He played poorly in 2002 and was replaced as the starter after being sacked six times and sustaining a concussion against the Giants to start the 2003 season. He was written off as a has-been. In 2004, the Giants signed him, and he won five of his first seven games. But a two-game losing streak opened the door to the Eli Manning era, and Warner was washed up once more.

In five years, Warner will be eligible for consideration to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and his credentials during the N.F.L.’s pass-happy era seem to make him a solid contender. In 125 regular-season games, Warner completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 32,344 yards and 208 touchdowns. Fourteen quarterbacks have been elected to the Hall of Fame in the last 25 years, and Warner has a better completion percentage, more net yards per pass attempt and more yards per game than all of them.

Only Dan Marino — who never won a Super Bowl — had more career 300-yard passing games. Warner was the fastest player in N.F.L. history to 10,000 yards passing, and he tied Marino as fastest to reach 30,000. Warner also has the top three passing performances in Super Bowl history. His 1,147 yards passing in the 2008 playoffs broke the N.F.L. record of 1,063, which he set with St. Louis in 1999.

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Quite the story.