Why Chiefs Must Draft a QB Regardless of Brady Quinn's Success

There are a handful of teams in the NFL with shaky situations under center. But with the Kansas City Chiefs lacking their quarterback of the future, their particular circumstance is as dire as any in the league.

Matt Cassel began the season as the league's worst-rated passer and had turned the ball over 14 times through the Chiefs' first five games. But during a 9-6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5, the quarterback would exit with an apparent head injury.

Cassel would eventually be diagnosed with a concussion.

Enter Brady Quinn.

Quinn would replace Cassel for the Week 6 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (a 38-10 road loss) and would be named starter over a healthy Cassel for last week's post-bye contest with the Oakland Raiders.

During the first quarter, Quinn would go down with a head injury of his own.

Re-enter Cassel, who finished out the 26-16 loss.

Quinn missed Monday's practice for concussion evaluations as well and his status for Thursday night's game with the San Diego Chargers remains uncertain.

However, head coach Romeo Crennel said that he is sticking with Quinn if he is cleared to play.

With the Chiefs' 2012 season all bust lost at this point, it doesn't matter who the quarterback is for Thursday's game or the rest of the season—which is exactly why this team's quarterback situation is the worst in the NFL.

With Cassel losing favor and Quinn, so far, not capitalizing on his second chance in this league, Kansas City must use its first round pick in next April's draft trying to fix the quarterback position—especially if the team ends up picking at the top of the draft.

The Chiefs haven't drafted a quarterback in the first round since 1983, when the team took Todd Blackledge with the seventh overall pick. Since then, Kansas City has taken a signal-caller just three times in the first three rounds (Mike Elkins, second round in 1989, Matt Blundin, second round in 1992 and Brodie Croyle, third round in 2006).

Regardless of how Quinn or Cassel plays to close out the year, change is imperative. With franchise quarterbacks littering the NFL, it is time for the Chiefs to follow suit and draft one of their own.

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