Matt Cassel’s Hand Injury Could End His Season

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley told reporters just moments ago that QB Matt Cassel has a “significant” injury to his throwing hand, and that it could be a season-ender.

Haley said Cassel will need surgery, but he could not say for sure if the injury would end Cassel’s season.

Haley confirmed that Tyler Palko will be the team’s QB for the foreseeable future.

Obviously this is huge news, and it will greatly alter the course of Kansas City’s season.

If you’ve ever wondered what this current group of offensive players would look like with someone other than Cassel playing QB, you’re about to find out.

My thoughts after the jump.

Obviously the loss of Cassel is devastating. Not so much because Cassel is the best QB in the world but because he is probably the best QB on the roster.

On the other hand, we’re about to find out a whole lot about the Cassel without him even being on the field. Should Palko play at least as well or better than Cassel has this year, it will be pretty damning of #7’s future with the team.

What will likely happen, however, is that KC’s season will go from bad to ugly. Palko probably isn’t a starting-caliber QB, and Stanzi hasn’t even been active for a game this season and hasn’t been able to pass Palko on the depth chart.

Unless Palko has some sort of meltdown, we aren’t likely to get a look at Stanzi.

The other interesting thing to consider is that the Chiefs aren’t yet putting Cassel on IR. There seems to be some optimism that he MIGHT be able to come back at some point this season. The Chiefs are calling it a fluid situation.

What happens if Palko plays reasonably well, the Chiefs win some games and stay in the division race and then Cassel comes back?

We want to hear your thoughts. Let’s have it.