The 2026 season has certainly drawn attention for several controversial calls by officials, sparking debates about officiating across the NFL. But even though Kurt Warner has been retired for years, the former Arizona Cardinals quarterback may still have one Super Bowl loss on his mind, which ended with a call that sparked debates.

Warner was on the call for the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New Orleans Saints matchup in Paris on Sunday. During the broadcast, Warner reportedly took a few jabs at his Super Bowl XLIII loss to the Steelers, including the game-winning catch by former Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes in the end zone.

However, his comments didn’t sit well with some fans, bringing the NFL legend under scrutiny. Now, Warner has addressed the reaction, clarifying that he was simply having some fun at the expense of his own Super Bowl loss.

“People, I’m just having a little fun at my Super Bowl loss to the #steelers, relax please! I’m not bitter, I know SA had his feet down & they should have won… but like anyone, I don’t take myself too seriously & can still have fun with it all,” Warner wrote on X after the Steelers win over the Saints. “It’s how normal life works – back and forth between rivals or after an important game… no need to CUSS me out for fun comments! ????.”

Warner has often been called out for allegedly harboring lingering bitterness over that Super Bowl defeat, and as he began bringing up the iconic Holmes catch on-air, fans quickly took to X to call him out once again.

“Kurt Warner hating a– been bitter all day. Hold the L, little buddy,” a fan wrote on X, accompanied by a GIF of Holmes making that historic catch in the end zone.

Warner was referring to Super Bowl XLIII when Ben Roethlisberger led the Steelers to a 27-23 win over Warner’s Cardinals. However, it was the Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes who drew significant attention for his game-winning catch in the end zone. Warner’s Cardinals took a 23-20 lead with a couple of minutes remaining in the fourth quarter after a 64-yard touchdown reception by Larry Fitzgerald.

Roethlisberger, meanwhile, led Pittsburgh on a late, 78-yard scoring drive. With less than a minute remaining, the Steelers signal-caller threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Holmes in the back of the end zone. Holmes managed to get both feet down in bounds while maintaining possession. The officials reviewed the play and upheld the touchdown.

Pittsburgh won 27–23, securing its sixth Super Bowl title. Holmes was named Super Bowl MVP after recording nine receptions for 131 yards.

For Warner, the catch was the play that ended his opportunity to win a second Super Bowl. For Steelers fans, it became one of the defining moments in franchise history. Kurt Warner has previously discussed the catch, definitely conceding the debate.

“You know, those are things I’m never gonna agree on,” said Warner on The Fantasy Footballers Podcast in 2024, when asked whether he believed Holmes really caught the catch. “Whether he (Holmes) got that other toe down or not, the throw, the catch, the effort, it was just incredible. That’s just one of those plays that you gotta tip your hat and go, come on. Ben should’ve never thrown it; we had three guys in the area.

“Santonio should’ve never been close to catching it, yet, you know, made the perfect throw, made the catch. Whether that toe scraped the turf or not, I don’t really know, but it was one heck of an effort. We’re sitting here, and we can’t definitely say whether he touched it or not, which to me makes it close enough, in a moment like that, where you gotta tip your hat and give it to him.”

Warner finished with 31-of-43 for 377 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. But ultimately, he failed to win his second Super Bowl, thanks to Holmes’ game-winning toe-touching touchdown.

The post “No Need to Cuss Me Out”: Kurt Warner Fires Back After Being Called “Bitter” Over Super Bowl Loss to Steelers appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.