New Vikings quarterback Matt Cassel spoke with the local media moments ago and made it clear that he's quite clear on his role with this year's team.
He's Christian Ponder's backup. Period. End of discussion.
"[The Vikings] conveyed to me that Christian obviously had a great year last year," said Cassel, who signed a two-year deal with the Vikings on Thursday. "They went 10-6 and he is their starting quarterback. They said they're looking to bring somebody in with experience who could come in and basically be somebody who can step in if need be. The fact of the matter is, again, Christian is the starting quarterback. I think we'll have a great [meeting] room. I'm there to add value. I'm there to help him out in whatever capacity that is, and go from there."
Cassel is an eight-year veteran with 62 NFL starts. He's been a starter the past five years, including the past four with Kansas City, although he was benched after a 1-8 start last season.
Despite coming in as a clear-cut backup, Cassel said he was sold quickly on Minnesota after the Chiefs released him on Thursday.
"I'm excited first and foremost to be a Viking," he said. "I was able to come up here and spend time with [General Manager] Rick Spielman, Coach [Leslie] Frazier, and Coach [Bill] Musgrave today. We sat down and were able to go through some different stuff, and it felt like it was a perfect fit for me. The community and my family, but also being a part of a team last year that went 10-6. It's a team that's young, up and coming and a winner, to be frank. I'm just excited to be part of the team."
