About Matt Cassel

Matthew Brennan "Matt" Cassel (born May 17, 1982) is a former American football quarterback.
He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL draft. He played college football at USC.

Cassel became the Patriots' starting quarterback after Week 1 of the 2008 season after then reigning NFL MVP Tom Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury. In February 2009, the Patriots used their franchise tag on Cassel, extending him a one-year contract worth over $14 million, the largest one-year contract for an offensive player in NFL history. Later that offseason, the Patriots made a trade which sent Cassel to the Kansas City Chiefs, who signed him to a 6-year, $62.7 million contract in July 2009. In 2010, Cassel led the Chiefs to their first AFC West divisional championship in seven years, and earned a Pro Bowl selection in the process.