Reuters

Jay Cutler may return in the regular season. The Texans haven’t given up hope just yet on Matt Schaub.

The Chiefs, on the other hand, will not get another snap from their starting quarterback this season.

Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com reports via a league source that the Chiefs will place Matt Cassel on injured reserve Monday before the team faces the Patriots. Wide receiver Jeremy Horne will be activated from the team’s practice squad.

The Chiefs are in a tough spot with Cassel. He’s proven to be an average starting quarterback, but he’s paid like a superstar. Their ceiling seems limited with him, yet it’s not like they have alternatives to replace him.

Cassel’s contract was structured in a way that he made a lot of money the last three years, and his base salary actually dips in 2012 to $5.25 million. We’d fully expect the Chiefs to retain Cassel, but perhaps draft or sign an alternative.