Matt Cassel is trying to say all the right things when it comes to the quarterback situation for the Minnesota Vikings. The team opted to start Josh Freeman over the No. 2 quarterback for this Monday's matchup against the New York Giants. Cassel will now be inactive as Ponder moves down to the backup role. The move leaves Cassel's future in question, but the quarterback is remaining positive throughout the uncertainty.
Leslie Frazier made the announcement to the team that the Vikings would move forward with Freeman as the starter, giving the former Tampa Bay star a chance to prove himself in Minnesota. The move came as a surprise to everyone but Cassel.
The backup started the matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers after Ponder got injured. He led Minnesota to their first win of the season, tossing two touchdown passes and committing zero turnovers. He did enough to receive his second-consecutive start where he tossed two interceptions as the Vikings were blown out by Carolina. While Frazier did not announce the decision to start Freeman until Wednesday, Cassel believes the idea was thought up long ago.
"With the situation being what it is, when you bring in a guy like that, (Frazier) even made it very clear in the team meeting that they were going to take a good, strong look at Josh whenever that time might be," Cassel said, via the Pioneer Press. "A week ago Wednesday, it was made very clear to the whole team that there was going be competition (at quarterback), that they were going to take a big, strong look at him."
This was not the situation Cassel was expecting for himself. The quarterback signed a two-year deal in the offseason to be the primary backup for Ponder. It was expected that as some point he would see significant time as a starter. Now he has been demoted to third string.
"Obviously, it wasn't anything that I anticipated," Cassel said. "But at the same time, I've been around this league long enough to know that from one week to the next, things change. Obviously, (Frazier) felt that it was the right decision. Whether or not you agree with it, you move forward, and you have to be professional about it and support his decision."
The nine-year veteran continues to remain positive with the media unlike Ponder. The third-year quarterback sees the writing on the wall and understands his time with Minnesota is coming to an end. That has left Ponder questioning whether a trade is the best option, something Cassel will likely consider as well.
