Should Matt Cassel Be Allowed To Play

Should Kansas City Chiefs Matt Cassel be allowed to play Sunday against the San Diego Chargers just four days after having an emergency appendectomy?

For a time after the news of Cassel’s surgery broke, the conversation surrounding Cassel centered on whether or not he would be able to play and how long he might be out. Now, as more information on the type of surgery Cassel had has come to light, the conversation has shifted a bit to not whether or not it is possible he could play but whether or not he should be allowed to.

Multiple doctors have weighed in on Cassel’s injury. Most have said that is most certainly possible that Cassel could play. Some have said that there is no further damage that Cassel could do to himself and that his ability to play would be more of a matter of his being able to manage the pain. A few experts, however, have said that he should not play and that it would be irresponsible to put him out on the field.

I am split on the issue. Obviously my chief concern is Matt Cassel and his safety. I would never want him to put himself in any sort of danger just to play in a football game. On the other hand, if there is no real danger of Cassel injuring himself further, I think the decision should lie with the player and the coaches.

There are a number of factors to consider when choosing your side here.

1.       Could Cassel get hurt worse? Could playing lead to him missing more time than is necessary if something goes wrong?

2.       If he does play, what kind of impact would the surgery have on his play? Though it was a less invasive surgery, Cassel is sure to be in pain, less mobile and will likely experience some fatigue. Cassel playing poorly due to his situation could cost the Chiefs the game just as easily as not having him on the field at all.

3.       Is Brodie Coryle really that much of a liability? Yes he has never won a game but Croyle can be effective. In fact, he played very well last season in the opener against the Baltimore Ravens. Are we not giving Croyle enough credit to do his job in this situation? He won’t be asked to win the game on his own and he’ll have plenty of support around him.

4.       On the other hand, if Cassel can throw the ball well and is fairly mobile, why not put him in? Croyle is sure to be rusty and Cassel has done such a good job of protecting the ball that it might be best to get him in there. Turnovers could very well be the difference in this game and Matt Cassel doesn’t turn the ball over

I have to be honest, as a sports fan, I really want to see Cassel play Sunday. What a great story it would be for Cassel to go under the knife and return to action four days later to lead the Chiefs to victory over the San Diego Chargers and into the playoffs for the first time since 2006? It would be one of the gutsiest performances in sports history and if Cassel continues to have success as the Chiefs QB, it would add to his legend.

Think

Kurt Shilling

Curt Schilling and the bloody sock.

Nobody wants Matt Cassel to get hurt or be put in danger, however, if there is no danger and this is something Matt Cassel wants to do, I say let him play.

What do you say?