Cassel Questionable

Todd Feeback/Kansas City Star

Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel has been officially ruled as questionable after Friday's practice. In injury report terms, questionable means there's a 50% chance he will/won't play. Cassel has been limited in all his practices this week, warranting the label of questionable. On the bright side, however, he has practiced all week. He was not able to actually practice with the team last week following his appendectomy on December 8th.

Cassel is a fighter, a competitor, the kind of player that never wants to leave the field; but having an organ taken out of your body would sideline anyone. Even then, Cassel wanted to attempt to play last Sunday against the Chargers. “It was a decision that the medical staff and the coaches made and they made that decision for me. They just told me that was what they decided to do and I disagreed with what they had said. . . It really wasn’t up to me, it went back to the doctors and our medical staff. Sometimes they have to guard you against yourself.”


Because of the uniqueness of the injury and that it's not your run-of-the-mill football related injury, the choice of whether or not Cassel will play this week will once again come down to the doctors and medical staff. In today's press conference, coach Haley spoke about the condition of Cassel (like he has done all week): "it’s probably going to go right up to the wire of exactly what we’re able to do with Matt.” When asked by reporters that if the medical staff recommended Cassel not play, would he sit Cassel, Haley responded "Absolutely."


Cassel and backup quarterback Brodie Croyle have been preparing for the Rams all week, each taking snaps. And although Croyle and Cassel are splitting reps, I still believe that Cassel will play Sunday. When asked earlier this week how he was feeling, Cassel said: "It feels good. It gets better each and every day and hopefully it will continue to make progress and get better as we move forward this week.” Although this isn't a concrete answer on whether he will play or not, and although his status is questionable, I find it hard to believe that Cassel won't be approved as a game-time decision to play this weekend.


Now there are some questions that arise if Cassel does play. What if he gets hit and pops the stitches (Rams have 36.5 sacks)? Will Cassel be himself after his appendectomy (Ben Roethlisberger had the same surgery in 2006. After missing the season opener because of it, he completed just 54% of his passes and threw for 7 interceptions and no touchdowns in his first three games back)? If we take a comfortable margin, will we pull Cassel (Chiefs are 3-0 and average 35 points a game against NFC West opponents)? And of course these questions one ESPN writer had for Cassel's appendix.