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First Tom Brady, Now Another Patriots QB Set to Become TV Analyst

A former New England Patriots quarterback is set to make his television debut as an analyst ... and the University of Michigan is involved.

A former New England Patriots quarterback has finally accepted a lucrative broadcasting deal that will call upon his expertise from his days in Foxboro. And, yes, the University of Michigan will be involved.

Yes, Matt Cassel has finally made a decision about what to do in retirement.

Per the New York Post, Cassel will be a studio analyst for NBC's coverage of Big Ten football this season. Cassel's new title will be earned while his fellow Patriots' alum, Tom Brady, takes a year off before he joins up with Fox's NFL coverage. 

The Post notes that Cassel returning to college is "pretty incredible" considering his muted career at USC. He spent his entire career backing up Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart. The Patriots nonetheless brought him aboard in the seventh round of the 2005 draft despite only 33 passes (and no touchdowns) on his college resume.

In Foxboro, Cassel is best known for his 2008 season, when he stepped in for an injured Brady and guided the Patriots to an 11-5 record when the kickoff weekend ailment kept him out for the remainder of the season. Though New England missed the playoffs, it allowed Cassel to build a lasting NFL prescience: he played that substitute effort into a four-year reign as the Kansas City Chiefs' starter (earning a Pro Bowl invite in 2010) before serving as a backup in Minnesota, Buffalo, Dallas, Tennessee, and Detroit. Cassel's last NFL action came with the Lions in 2018.

NBC, long-known for its exclusive coverage of Notre Dame home games, is expanding its college football coverage this season to include primetime games from the Big Ten on Saturday nights. The package kicks off on Sept. 2, when Penn State hosts West Virginia in a non-conference game. 

Select games will also run on NBC's streaming service Peacock, including the opener for Brady's alma mater Michigan against East Carolina. 


Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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