"Matt Cassel's quarterbacking career was initially allowed to soar only because of an injury to New England's Tom Brady. It happened again this week when Cassel replaced the injured Brady as one of the quarterbacks on the AFC's Pro Bowl team.

Cassel needed no prompting to see the irony in that.

"There are so many crazy things going when you look back, about Tom having the injury and me getting my chance, but that chance was against the Kansas City Chiefs and then myself getting traded to the Kansas City Chiefs," Cassel said Thursday. "Now to put me in the Pro Bowl, again Tom unfortunately has an injury and he's not able to go but it also puts me in the Pro Bowl."

Brady underwent successful foot surgery on Thursday.

"There are so many ironic, crazy things that go on in my career that consist of those (two) little teams or that person," Cassel said. "It's really weird. It's kind of creepy to say the least."

Cassel joins three Chiefs teammates — running back Jamaal Charles, guard Brian Waters and wide receiver Dwayne Bowe — as participants in the Jan. 30 Pro Bowl in Honolulu."