Trent Green can't help but wonder if he'd be in Kurt Warner's place if he had not injured his knee.

Green signed with the St. Louis Rams nearly a year ago and was all set to become the answer to the team's quarterback problems. He had played under offensive coordinator Mike Martz in Washington, and he was coming home to save the day.

Then, Green blew out his knee on a questionable hit in the third preseason game, and he has watched Kurt Warner's fairy-tale season unfold ever since.

O'Donnell, on the other hand, joined the Tennessee Titans as a free agent knowing he would be backing up Steve McNair. But when McNair underwent back surgery following the season's first game, O'Donnell stepped in and led the team to a 4-1 record, throwing for 1,209 yards and eight touchdowns on a 61 percent completion rate.

But as soon as McNair was healthy, O'Donnell went back to the bench and appeared in only three more games. He has taken no snaps in the playoffs.

So now both quarterbacks are here with their teams, and neither expects to play in Super Bowl XXXIV at the Georgia Dome on Sunday. Green still is rehabilitating his knee. O'Donnell, who started Super Bowl XXX for the Pittsburgh Steelers, will play if McNair gets hurt, but even he doesn't see that as likely.

"You always want to play," he said, "that's the hard part of this. But I strongly believe that you need two good quarterbacks to win in this league, and that has proven itself out."

With McNair still somewhat gimpy with turf toe, O'Donnell is taking some snaps in practice, and he will be ready if the Titans need him. That's a lot more than Green can say right now. He's with the team but not really a part of it.

"I'm happy for the organization," he said, "but from a personal standpoint, it does get tough to deal with. I was very emotional last week. I'm part of the celebration, hugging everybody, but emotionally it was tough not being more a part of it. It's tough to be the one who started it and not get to finish it."

Green was tearing it up in the exhibition season, completing 87 percent of his passes with a quarterback rating of 126.6 when his season ended. Rodney Harrison of the Chargers hit Green after he released a pass, a hit that could have been interpreted as late, unnecessary in an exhibition game, or even downright dirty.

Green says he doesn't harbor ill feelings toward Harrison, and he doesn't think the hit was dirty. Still, he can't help but watch Warner's storybook season with a sense of longing.

"You go through the whole 'What if?' game," he said. "Would I have gone to the Pro Bowl? Would I have the numbers he has? Would I have been MVP? You go through all the scenarios, and it gets frustrating at times."

The one "What if?" Green feels pretty certain on is that the Rams still would have made it to the Super Bowl with him calling the signals.

"I think so, and that's not to take anything away from Kurt," he said. "(It's) because of the level I was playing at when I got hurt, the offensive weapons that we have on this team, and I think we've been really fortunate because of our health."

The irony of that last comment struck Green immediately -- his own health is the only reason Warner became the starter. But he's handling himself here in Atlanta with class and dignity, offering support for Warner and looking positively toward his recovery and his future.

That is no small feat considering this is the second Super Bowl he has missed narrowly. In 1994, he was cut in the preseason by San Diego, which wound up reaching the Super Bowl against San Francisco.

While it would be more than understandable if he begins feeling a little melancholy come Sunday, a quick glance to the opposite sideline could offer perspective. The Titans' O'Donnell went from being a Super Bowl starter to a roving backup in just a few short years. And while he'd dearly love to be the one leading Tennessee out of the tunnel Sunday, he said he has gained a lot of perspective the past three seasons.

"I appreciate this more, because I know how hard it is to get here," he said. "It would definitely be special (to play), but I'm not worried about it, or hoping for it. I'm all about winning. That's what I play for. I hope we win and I get a Super Bowl ring. I already have a conference championship ring. I want the next one."