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The Kansas City Chiefs and quarterback Matt Cassel have agreed to a six-year contract worth $63 million, according to John Clayton of ESPN.

Per Clayton, Cassel will earn $40.5 million over the first three years of the contract and is guaranteed $28 million over the life of the contract. Before the new deal, Cassel would have earned $14.561 million this year.

So, in other words, Cassel will receive less than $14 million in extra guaranteed money over the extra five years of his deal.

Cassel, who was designated with the franchise tag by the New England Patriots, was traded to Kansas City along with Mike Vrabel for a second-round pick (34th overall). The Patriots used that pick to select Oregon safety Patrick Chung.

Chiefs GM Scott Pioli drafted Cassel, who never started a college game, in the seventh round in the 2006 NFL Draft. Last season, Cassel started 15 games for the Patriots after Tom Brady, who won the 2007 NFL MVP award, suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first game of the season against the Chiefs.

Last year, Cassel threw for 3,693 yards and 21 touchdowns. And he got better as the season progressed. In the final month of the season, Cassel had a QB rating of 102.7 and threw eight touchdowns to only one interception.

Is Cassel worth the money after emerging from obscurity last year? That's debatable, but I do know this.

Cassel will earn $15 million less over six years than the Lions will pay rookie Matthew Stafford, this year's top overall pick. Granted the rookie pay-scale is out of whack and Stafford has greater upside, but Cassel has already showed that he can produce at this level.

Of all teams in the league, the Chiefs are as well-suited as any other team to make this type of commitment. Pioli drafted him, saw him practice for a few years and then produce last season. Plus, the Chiefs have had the opportunity to see him throughout their off-season workouts and mini-camp.

In other words, if anyone knows whether Cassel is worth it, it's Pioli.