Setting the Story Straight on the Matt Cassel Contract Story

Yesterday, about an hour and a half before the draft started, Michael Lombardi of the National Football Post and the NFL Network reported that Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel had completed a 6-year, $36 million dollar guaranteed contract with the team.

That contract would have put Cassel's guaranteed money for a 6-year deal Matthew Stafford's ($41.7 million) yesterday and Matt Ryan's ($34.75 million) last year.

Alas, those reports, at least for now, are being reported as false. Here are those disputing the Cassel contract:

Peter King would know, considering he's in Kansas City right now.

"Posting on si.com that two sources tell me there is no new deal between the Chiefs and Matt Cassel."

Matt Cassel told NBC Sports he doesn't not have a new contract deal in place.

Matt Cassel just texted me this message after I looked for confirmation on the deal he was said to have signed.

"Thank you, but I haven't signed a deal. I don't know where they are getting their info."

Chiefs GM Scott Pioli said no deal had been reached either.

"No, someone had told me that that report is out there, but that’s news to me."

Adam Teicher of the Kansas City Star added one more blow to the original report.

Contrary to some Internet reports, the Chiefs did not sign Matt Cassel to a new contract extension. For the time being, at least, Cassel is under the one-year, $14.65 million contract he signed with New England before his trade to Kansas City.

Here's the thing about this story. Michael Lombardi of the National Football Post broke this story. He was the guy who told us on April 13th that the odds of a Tony Gonzalez trade to Atlanta were at 80-85%. Nobody else picked up on this story and it sat until....Tony Gonzalez was traded to the Falcons.

Matt Cassel may not have officially signed a deal but I would not be surprised if we find out in the near future that he signs a deal similar to this. I doubted Lombardi before with the TG trade talk and I was wrong so I'm willing to ride this one out for him.

And as far as the significance of Cassel signing, I'm not really that interested. I'm not one of these consipracy theorists that think since a long-term deal hasn't been made, Cassel is getting shipped out of KC or something.

We'll have the first open thread of the day coming up.