Patriots coach Bill Belichick hasn't had to deal with much turnover — or uncertainty — at placekicker.
Just three people have had the job since Belichick took over in New England in 2000,...
DETROIT LIONS (6-10)
New faces: DE Trey Flowers, DT Mike Daniels, WR Danny Amendola, TEs T.J. Hockenson and Jesse James, RB C.J. Anderson, Justin Coleman and Rashaan Melvin, S Andrew Adams,...
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Jarrett Stidham now stands where several others have before him — as a possible successor to Tom Brady as quarterback of the New England Patriots.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs didn't draft Patrick Mahomes merely to make the playoffs.
Matt Cassel accomplished that, and quarterbacks Steve Bono, Elvis Grbac, Trent Green and Alex Smith went one better by making it to the divisional round. Smith even won a wild-card game, the first playoff victory by the long-suffering Chiefs since Joe Montana led them to the AFC title game in the 1993 season.
No, the Chiefs didn't trade up to select Mahomes just to make the playoffs.
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Jake Rudock is back with the Detroit Lions after being signed to their practice squad.
The Lions waived Rudock as they cut their roster down to 53 players by Saturday's deadline. That move paved the way for Matt Cassel to be the team's backup quarterback behind Matthew Stafford. But the Lions announced several more moves Sunday.
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions have cut quarterback Jake Rudock, paving the way for veteran Matt Cassel to move forward as Matthew Stafford's backup.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Starters for both teams were long gone before the Detroit Lions rallied for their first preseason victory under coach Matt Patricia, leaving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a loss that didn't feel like a loss.
"They keep score, so you want to win the game," Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said. "But our first two groups played well. ... We've just got to finish the game a little better."
NAPA, Calif. (AP) — P.J. Hall and Maurice Hurst wasted little time providing the inside pass rush that Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden wanted when he used two draft picks on the defensive tackles.
Hall delivered on his first snap as a pro, bringing down Detroit's Matt Cassel in the exhibition opener. Hurst got pressure twice with one of those leading to Hall deflecting a pass by Cassel.
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions bolstered their backup options at quarterback and wide receiver.
Detroit signed Matt Cassel on Monday, adding depth behind Matthew Stafford. The Lions also re-signed restricted free agent TJ Jones, giving Stafford another target in the passing game.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Only Marcus Mariota's left hamstring can save the Titans from adding yet another backup's name to the list of Tennessee quarterbacks trying their hand against the Indianapolis Colts.
Mariota is questionable for Monday night's game with their AFC South rivals, and how much he can move around will determine whether or not Matt Cassel starts a second straight game for Tennessee.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The best quarterback on either side Sunday was Marcos Mariota, and he spent the entire game on the sideline.
Fans jeered Jay Cutler repeatedly in his first home game with the Miami Dolphins, and they might have booed Matt Cassel in Nashville, too.
Both offenses were held under 190 yards as the Dolphins beat the Tennessee Titans, 16-10. Here are things to know about two last-place teams with quarterback issues:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans are adding Brandon Weeden to the roster as a third quarterback with Marcus Mariota recovering from a strained hamstring.
The Titans announced the move Tuesday. Coach Mike Mularkey says Mariota is day to day after hurting his hamstring in a 57-14 loss to the Texans.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee backup quarterback Matt Cassel will have surgery to put a pin in his right thumb after being hurt during the Titans' offseason program.
Cassel was hurt Tuesday during the Titans' closed organized team activity session.
Coach Mike Mularkey announced the injury to Cassel's throwing hand after Wednesday's session. The coach said Cassel will probably be out about six weeks but "should be ready to go for training camp."
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have agreed to a contract extension with quarterback Matt Cassel a week before he was set to hit free agency.
The Titans announced the deal on Thursday. Cassel is expected to help the Titans during the offseason program while Marcus Mariota recovers from a broken right lower leg.
HOUSTON (AP) — Being a backup quarterback for the New England Patriots during Tom Brady's tenure has typically been a practice-only position.
With the exception of the 2008 season when Brady missed the final 15 games after suffering a season-ending knee injury in the Patriots' season opener, he started all but two of New England's regular-season games from 2001 to 2015.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Veteran quarterback Matt Cassel has been lobbying coaches to keep the Tennessee offense the same as it has been with Marcus Mariota behind center.
Yes, even down to letting the quarterback run with the ball.
"I've been learning about the zone read all year," Cassel said Wednesday. "I've been watching a lot of it. Now I don't know how many times I'd actually pull it in, but at the same time, I've been lobbying for it for sure."
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — In one sense, Matt Cassel's football career is right back where it started — even before he entered the NFL.
Cassel signed a one-year deal in the offseason to back up Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota, the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner from Oregon.
A dozen years earlier, while in college at Southern California, Cassel had an up-close view of another Heisman Trophy winner. Cassel backed up USC star Matt Leinart, who won college...