Matt Cassel went down in today’s 20-9 loss and the Vikings got some bad news about their starting quarterback after the game. At the postgame press conference, head coach Mike Zimmer told reporters that the QB has several fractured bones in his foot, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (via Twitter).
It’s not known how much time Cassel will be sidelined for, but it’s safe to assume that rookie Teddy Bridgewater, who took over under center after Cassel’s exit, will be the starter next week against the Falcons. The Vikings also have former first-round pick Christian Ponder on the active roster, so they probably won’t have to scramble for an out-of-house option. Still, it’s conceivable that Minnesota could look into signal callers for their practice squad. The ten-team taxi squad doesn’t feature any QBs.
Cassel emerged out of the Vikings’ three-headed QB battle this offseason to win the starting job when some expected Bridgwater to win the competition. In three games this season (or, rather, two-and-change), Cassel completed 59% of his passes for 372 passing yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions. All of those picks came last week against the Pats.
The 32-year-old re-signed with Minnesota on a two-year, $10MM in March.