Player Info

Matt Cassel

Quarterback, Kansas City Chiefs

Career Highlights: A poised five-year NFL veteran, Matt Cassel completed his first season as the starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs last season after being traded from the New England Patriots…He finished the season with 271 passes and 16 touchdowns...In the 2008 season Cassel had a major career breakthrough at quarterback when he started the final 15 games for the New England Patriots following a season-ending knee injury to reigning NFL MVP Tom Brady in the first quarter of the 2008 season opener against Kansas City…For the Patriots, Cassel completed 327-of-516 passes (63.4 pct.) for 3,693 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, compiling a passer rating of 89.4…His 63.4 percent completion rate was the third-highest in franchise history and his completion total and passer rating ranked sixth in single-season franchise annals…Cassel’s passing yardage total placed eighth in team history and his 21 touchdowns were the most by a Patriots quarterback in his first year as a full-time starter since Tony Eason had 23 touchdown passes in 1984…Cassel threw for 400 or more yards in back to back games, becoming just the fifth quarterback in NFL history to have 400 or more passing yards in consecutive games… For the season, Cassel rushed for 270 yards and two touchdowns, recording the fifth-highest rushing total for a quarterback in Patriots history… Cassel was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week on two occasions in 2008 …His contributions helped the Patriots offense average 365.4 total net yards per game – the third highest total for any season in franchise history …Cassel helped the Patriots produce three games with 47 or more points, and New England’s 356 first downs led the NFL and stand as the second highest total in team history…In his first three seasons in New England (2005-07), Cassel played in 14 games with no starts and completed 22-of-39 passes (56.4 percent) for 253 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. In his five-year career, Cassel has played in 45 games with 30 starts and completed 620 of 1,048 passes for 6,870 yards, 39 touchdowns and 29 interceptions, compiling a career passer rating of 79.6. …Cassel was selected by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft out of the University of Southern California…Cassel spent his entire USC career as a backup behind Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart…He played in 25 games, completing 20 of 33 pass attempts for 192 yards…Cassel is the only known quarterback in NFL history to start an NFL game as quarterback without ever starting at quarterback in college.

Updated: June 2010
Courtesy NBC

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