by Kelly Thompson

Created on: April 29, 2009

It pains me to write this article knowing that it is about the new starting quarterback for my beloved NFL franchise. But, at this juncture in NFL history the most overrated player absolutely has to be Matt Cassell.

I hope that he comes out of this swinging like a champ, but after one short season with the Patriots, everyone hanging around the KC locker room is ready to crown him the franchise savior, I think Clark Hunt just built two trophy cases - one for Cassell's jock strap, and the other for the Lombardi trophy he feels they are now destined to win.

Let us analyze some of the many reasons to name Cassell the most overrated. First and foremost, there are precisely zero players that deserve over $14 million after only one season starting in the NFL. (Ok, I'm willing to concede Matt Ryan as a possible exception.) The real scoop as that a franchised career backup is a waste of a franchise tag. The bigger shame is that the Chiefs have boughten so hard in to the hysteria that is Casselmania. In addition to his clearly exhorbatant salary, Cassel also has not accomplished anything! That's not entirely fair. Cassell did take a 16-0 Patriots team, with next to zero cast changes, and make them an 11-5 team unqualified for the playoffs. He did take a team from the cusp of legendary status (the elusive 19-0 season) to the cusp of irrelevancy. He did replace one of the best quarterbacks in the history of football without actually replacing them (seriously, did any of you see a Patriots game where the announcers talked more about Brady (on the bench) than about Cassell (on the field)). But as far as accomplishing anything positive...not so much. He also managed to accomplish these feats with an all star cast - Bill Belicheck, Scott Pioli maining the fort and Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Co. doing the heavy lifting on the field.

The Chiefs feel they have gotten their new franchise leader, the next Joe Montana, the future league MVP, the savior to lead them out of the abyss of NFL solitutde and destitude. I think they've gotten duped. I hope and pray that I'm wrong. But with Dwayne "Butterfingers" Bowe, Larry "I'll likely spend the season suspended, and if I don't, I'll beat more women until I do" Johson, Tony "The greatest...Oops! He doesn't have Tony any more, and a cast of wannabe NFL stars to help him through - I'm sure the Chiefs will continue to wallow away in the lower rungs of the NFL. It might be fitting to change our names to the Kansas City Raiders.

God speed Matt Cassell. I hope you're better than Tom Brady - because it's gonna take a miracle to lead the Chiefs to a .500 season.

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