Chiefs head coach Todd Haley isn’t ready to claim QB Matt Cassel healthy enough to play at Baltimore just yet, and that’s okay. No matter which way you look at it, the return of Cassel today was nothing but a positive.
”He was out there,” Haley said. ”I think as the week goes on we’ll know a little bit more with Matt. It was good that he was out there and he was able to get through some things. As the week goes on a little further we’ll know a little more where he’s at.”
The Chiefs coaching staff would be taking a wait-and-see approach with Cassel even if he hadn’t practiced today. But the simple fact that Cassel lined up with teammates in full pads and ran through drills means that the Chiefs starter isn’t playing catch-up this week.
”I think it was positive he was on the field,” Haley said.
Positive indeed. A few reports have surfaced around the web stating that Cassel is nowhere near 100% even though he practiced today, mainly because he was hampered with a knee brace on this left knee. I think it’s a bit premature to draw any conclusions either way about Cassel. We all want answers, but patience is key in evaluating injury rehab.