Matt Cassel is a rather divisive figure for most Kansas City Chiefs fans. The team's starting quarterback has a Pro Bowl nod underneath his belt in 2010, yet in three seasons for the Chiefs, he has yet to display the ability to carry the offense on his shoulders. Instead the offense must become an efficient unit to suit him and that has fans split on whether or not they even want him around for the long haul.
Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports believes this is the final season for Cassel in Kansas City -- at least in a starting role. Among his multiple preseason predictions, Silver has the Chiefs replacing Cassel as the starter at some point in the season. He writes:
"If you believe some of the garbage that has come out of Kansas City the past couple of years, you think that former offensive coordinator Charlie Weis was the reason for Cassel's stunning success in 2010, when Tom Brady's ex-backup made the Pro Bowl and helped K.C. to an unlikely AFC West crown. If you know the real story, you regard Weis as a fraud, ex-Chiefs coach Todd Haley as a miracle worker (at least for that one season, which began with Weis reluctant to coach Cassel, causing Haley to step in) and Cassel as a disaster waiting to happen. With the ever-delicate Brian Daboll now on the job as new coach Romeo Crennel's offensive coordinator, count on it happening."
If that were to happen, it would be interesting to see who Silver believes could replace him. Ricky Stanzi was overwhelmed in the preseason and is likely going to need another year with the team to adjust his game to the pro level. Brady Quinn has yet to show he can be a starter in the NFL even while playing on a Broncos team that suffered with Tim Tebow under center.
Perhaps the Chiefs can pick up a starter mid-season like last year's waiver grab of Kyle Orton, but that's poor planning for a team with so much talent all over the roster. If Cassel is replaced at some point like Silver believes, it likely means the Chiefs season fell apart once again.