Matthew Brennan Cassel (born May 17, 1982) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. A member of seven NFL teams, Cassel's most notable stints were with the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football at USC and was selected by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Since retiring, he has served as a television football analyst on NBC Sports Boston. Cassel began his career as a backup to Tom Brady until Brady suffered a season-ending injury in the first game of 2008. During his one season as the Patriots' starter, he helped them obtain a 11–5 record, but missed the playoffs. He was traded to the Chiefs the following year, where he played from 2009 to 2012. Cassel's most successful season came in 2010 when he led the Chiefs to their first division title since 2003, earning Pro Bowl honors in the process. After leaving Kansas City, Cassel had a brief stint with the Minnesota Vikings before spending the remainder of his career in a backup role for the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Tennessee Titans, and Detroit Lions. Early years Cassel was born in Northridge, Los Angeles, California. When he was 11 years old, his family home was at the epicenter of the 1994 Northridge earthquake, which at one point trapped his father Greg under a marble column and caused water from their swimming pool to flood their house. Their home was eventually condemned as a result, forcing the Cassel family to move. Cassel was the starting first baseman on the Northridge baseball team that reached the finals of the 1994 Little League World Series. He attended Chatsworth High School and was a letterman, an all-city selection, and a standout in football, basketball, and baseball. As a senior, he was ranked as the number eight quarterback and ranked 53rd overall of the top high school players in the nation according to ESPN's Tom Lemming's Top 100. Lemming called Cassel a "pro-style pocket passer with a very strong, accurate delivery." In addition to playing quarterback, Cassel was also Chatsworth's punter. Cassel committed to play at USC before starting his senior year in high school. He also had an appearance in the HBO Family program Freshman Year, a reality show in which his younger brother was one of the featured students. College career