The Minnesota Vikings named veteran Matt Cassel the starting quarterback for Week 1. Although rookie Teddy Bridgewater lost the quarterback competition, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer expects him to be "a great player for this franchise for years to come," ESPN reports.
Cassel's solid preseason - 26-of-39 passes for 367 yards, two touchdowns and one interception - was enough to convince Zimmer that he gave the team its best chance to win.
"At this stage and where we're at right now, that's the best thing to do," Zimmer said, via ESPN. "I told Teddy this morning that I'm so happy he's here with us. We like everything that he's done. It wasn't anything that Teddy did or didn't do. Teddy will be, still, in my estimation, a great player for this franchise for years to come."
Cassel, who started six games last season for Minnesota, signed a two-year deal worth $10 million in the offseason. He's now set to make his first opening-day start in two years.
"I worked tremendously hard this offseason to put myself in this position," he said. "I'm excited that it's gone the way that it has. I've played well in preseason, and Coach has given me the confidence and the trust to go along and name me the starter."
Bridgewater has shown promise over the last three preseason games, completing 26 of 40 passes for 266 yards and four touchdowns, and believes the time on the bench will help him improve.
"Once I got drafted, I felt this was the perfect situation for me," Bridgewater said. "Right now, I'm able to just learn but also prepare myself as a starter. It's a great situation for me."
