Chiefs Coach Says Matt Cassel Falls Under The "One Year Rule'

Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said this afternoon that Matt Cassel falls under the "one year rule" which basically means that he's been in the system for one year so there should be some improvement.

Haley, as he usually does with Cassel, pointed to all the reasons Cassel could've had a bad year in 2009 -- new city, new teammates, new offense -- and said, despite that, he stepped in and became a leader of the team.

Now Cassel has been in the system for a full year. Gone are the reasons/excuses for not playing well -- it's not a new city, most teammates aren't new and the offense is only slightly new. Keeping the "one year rule" in mind, that presumably means the Chiefs expect to see a higher level of production from him.

"The biggest thing I want him to do is have another great off-season," Haley said, "which he did last year, he really did."

Expectations were high for Cassel last year because the Chiefs raved on and on about the type of offseason he had. First guy to arrive, last guy to leave. Hardest worker on the team. Clearly a leader.

Of course, that offseason didn't translate into a statistical success in 2009. Haley says Cassel continues to do things the way the Chiefs want and when that happens things generally "are going to work out the right way for him."

"He’s all ears and he’s at work right now – he’s had some things that could’ve been distractions and you wouldn’t know it."

One of those potential distractions?

Cassel and Co. just had a baby, Haley says.