Matt Cassel Gets Franchise Tag
February 5, 2009 by David Kindervater
Filed under New England Patriots
National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
The New England Patriots placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on backup quarterback Matt Cassel today. The Pats will keep Matt if they have any doubts that QB Tom Brady won’t be ready for the start of the 2009 season. But if Tom is ready (as he’s expected to be), it’s likely New England will trade Matt rather than pay him the $14.65 million brought by the tag (of course, the Pats aren’t stupid — they could also offer him a long-term deal). In a statement released by the Patriots today, head coach Bill Belichick said:
“Matt has been a pleasure to coach his entire career and last season in particular, when his years of hard work and commitment resulted in a most impressive performance. We look forward to working with Matt again in 2009.”
After a phenomenal 2008 season, Matt is nearly as hot a commodity as his mentor. He was certainly an adequate replacement, completing 63% of his passes for 3,693 yards and 21 touchdowns. Those are good enough numbers to start for any team in 2009. And he just might get that chance.
Source: Patriots.com, Photo: Newscom
