The Jaguars remain interested in swinging a trade for quarterback Tyler Thigpen and the Chiefs remain interested in trading him, according to a report from Jason La Canfora of NFL.com.
Reports of their interest surfaced earlier this week. They reportedly offered a fifth-round pick for the man supplanted by Matt Cassel, but were rebuffed by Chiefs G.M. Scott Pioli who wants to get a third rounder in return for Thigpen.
The Jaguars obviously don’t feel too secure about Todd Bouman backing up David Garrard, a feeling that probably grew when Garrard had to leave Thursday night’s game with a neck burner. He returned quickly, but they may not be so lucky next time and need to have more faith in the man standing behind him.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, have moved away from the spread offense that Thigpen operated fairly well last season and may be better served by giving Brodie Croyle the backup role behind Cassel as a result. That could change if Thigpen plays well against the Seahawks on Saturday night, but he’d have to play exceptionally well to eliminate all questions about his fitness for the new scheme.
La Canfora speculates that Thigpen’s presence may also spark a quarterback controversy if Cassel struggles, a likely scenario given how poorly the Chiefs offensive line has looked during the preseason. Adding fuel to the fire is Pioli’s addition of former Patriot Matt Gutierrez to the quarterbacking mix and the fact that Thigpen admitted to feeling frustrated, which may provide an unwelcome distraction as the season progresses.