Matt Cassel is a professional American-football quarterback who has spent over a decade in the National Football League (NFL). He has been seen as somewhat of a journeyman as he has played for several NFL franchises in the course of his career.
So far, the most significant highlight of his career was attained in January 2011 when he was named to the Pro Bowl as an alternate to Tom Brady who was injured. The quarterback was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL draft but that isn’t where his journey as an American footballer began.
The Amateur Career That Brought Matt to The NFL
Matthew Brennan Cassel was born on the 17th of May 1982 in Northridge, a suburb of San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California. He had his high school education at Chatsworth High School where he was a multisport athlete. He did not only played football but also joined the baseball team and was outstanding in both.
Cassel was so good that he received offers of athletic scholarships even before his final year of high school. He eventually picked the University Of Southern California (USC) which he attended between 2001 and 2004. In his four seasons playing for the Trojans, he was mostly used as a backup quarterback, and as such, he did not record many achievements.
Nonetheless, Cassel took part in the NFL draft in 2005 and was picked in the seventh round by the New England Patriots as the 230th overall pick that year. This marked the beginning of his NFL career and he would go on to play for a handful of other teams as you are about to learn.
Matt Cassel Has Played for 7 NFL Teams
As stated early, he has been a journeyman in the NFL and his first four seasons were with the Patriots (2005 to 2008). Matt was mostly a backup to Tom Brady in his first three seasons. But then, he finally got his chance to shine when Brady sustained an injury in the opening game of the 2008 season and he did not disappoint. He dished out incredible performances, so much that when the season came to an end, he achieved a historical record.
He became the first quarterback in the history of the NFL to record at least 10 wins, 325 completions, a 63% completion mark, 3,600 passing yards, 20 touchdown passes, 11 or fewer interceptions, as well as 250 rushing yards in a single season.
Kansas City Chiefs (2009–2012)
Cassel was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2009 and he spent four seasons with the team. His standout spell for them was his second season (2010) when his heroics led the Chiefs to the AFC West Division championship title as well as the playoffs.
In recognition of his exploits, Cassel was selected for the 2011 Pro Bowl. After Brady Quinn was made the starting quarterback for the Chiefs, it became apparent that Matt’s days with the team are numbered. He was released by the team sometime in March 2013.
Minnesota Vikings (2013–2014)
Being a very skillful and talented player, it’s no surprise that the Minnesota Vikings got Matt Cassel signed the very day he was released by the Chiefs. He proved himself to be a good substitute for Christian Ponder who was injured, so the Vikings were happy to hand him a two-year deal in March 2014. Nonetheless, he wouldn’t see the contract run out as he was traded to the Buffalo Bills.
Buffalo Bills & Dallas Cowboys (2015)
With the Vikings in the 2014 season, Matt broke his foot and was placed on injured reserve. This probably inspired the move to trade him in March 2015. The Bills received him and a sixth-round 2015 NFL Draft pick in exchange for a seventh-round pick in 2016 and a 2015 fifth-round pick.
But then, he wasn’t meant to stay with the team as he was released by the Buffalo Bills in September of 2015, re-signed three days later, and then traded to the Dallas Cowboys that same month. He had a brief good time with the Cowboys but was on the move again the next season.
Time for a game of #Catch32: Matt Cassel Edition!
Matt Cassel randomly answers questions about the 6 teams that he's played for that are currently in the playoff hunt⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/WceWJgHDrd
— GMFB (@gmfb) December 20, 2019
Tennessee Titans (2016–2017)
It was in March 2016 that the quarterback signed with the Tennessee Titans. As fate would have it, Marcus Mariota, the starting quarterback for the team suffered a leg injury that gave Matt Cassel the chance to prove his worth. He did well and the Titans handed him a two-year contract extension in March 2017. Roughly a year later, he was released by the team.
Detroit Lions (2018)
The Titans released Matt in March 2018 and in April of that same year, the Detroit Lions came calling and he inked a one year deal with the side. Much wasn’t seen from him while the contract ran its course and he has been off the NFL radar since it came to an end.
Matt didn’t announce that he has retired from the league but that seems to be the case. In the years he spent in the NFL, Cassel accumulated 1,578 pass completions for 2,683 pass attempts in addition to 17,508 passing yards and 1,025 rushing yards. He also pulled off 5 rushing touchdowns, a touchdown-interception ratio of 104 – 82, with a passer rating of 78.6%.
Matt Cassel Is Married to His College Girlfriend
Matt Cassel is married to his college sweetheart, Lauren Killian Cassel. Lauren also grew up in Los Angeles and the pair reportedly met while studying at USC.
Just like her husband, Lauren is athletically gifted and was an outstanding volleyball player while at USC. She captained the U.S.C. volleyball team to the N.C.A.A. national title as a senior in 2002. Cassel considers his wife’s athletic background as a valuable asset as she understands the pressure that comes from being a professional athlete and gives him sound advice.
Matt Cassel and Lauren got married in 2007 and have four children together. Their children include two daughters named Quinn and Ella, as well as two sons, Matthew Jr and Clayton.
What We Know About The Family He Hails from
His father, Greg Cassel, was a Hollywood scriptwriter while his mother, Barbara Cassel was an award-winning set decorator. His parents divorced when Cassel was 14, but he isn’t the only child they had together. Cassel has three siblings; an older brother named Jack, a younger brother called Justin and a younger sister known as Amanda.
The NFL star has a good bond with his family but no longer has that fortune with his father, the man died sometime in December 2008.
