Dec 10th 2008 5:55PM by Adam Gretz (author feed)
Filed under: Patriots, AFC East
Sad news out of New England today, as Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel left the team for the time being after the death of his father, Greg Cassel, as reported by the . It’s still uncertain as to how long Cassel will be away from the team, or if it will have an impact on his availability for Sunday’s game in Oakland.”Right now we’re just taking it day to day,” said Belichick, who said he was not sure when Cassel would return. “He’s going to take care of what he has to do.” Belichick, whose father, Steve, passed away during the 2005 season, sympathized with Cassel’s situation. “It’s bigger than football,” Belichick said. “I’ve been through that during the season as well, a personal situation you just have to deal with, and as I said, our thoughts and prayers are with him.”The Patriots are already in California for this week’s game, after playing in Seattle this past Sunday, so it’s likely that he’ll be available for action, as Cassel is from the Los Angeles area. Though, I certainly wouldn’t begrudge him if he weren’t ready to return to the field.Continue Reading