Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Kansas City Chiefs Matt Cassel suffered a concussion in Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.
The NFL is being more cautious about concussions than ever these days. Cassel will likely be evaluated throughout the week but I’d say his status for Sunday’s game is questionable at best.
It is hard to tell whether or not Cassel will be ready to go. For instance, Kevin Boss is out for the year after a blow he took to the head. Over in Cleveland, WR Josh Cribbs took a scary looking hit to the dome last Thursday night but he was cleared to play Sunday.
The Chiefs need to let Cassel sit. The team is 1-4 and is one game away from its week off. Regardless of what you think of Cassel’s play, the offense as a whole just hasn’t been effective with him running the show. By having Cassel sit next week, the team will be able to evaluate the play of backup QB Brady Quinn while also allowing Cassel nearly three weeks to heal from his head injury.
If Quinn plays poorly, the Chiefs can turn back to a fully healthy Cassel after the off week. If Quinn plays well and the Chiefs win, Kansas City will be in a position to get back in the AFC West race during the second half of the season.
Injury or not the Chiefs should probably have benched Cassel this week. Now that his health is at risk, there should be no question about who should start at QB next week against the Bucs.