Matt Cassel said he knows his place.
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The newest Minnesota Vikings quarterback landed in Minnesota after the Alex Smith trade ended Cassel's time with the Kansas City Chiefs. Questions immediately surfaced about Christian Ponder's job security.
Cassel cleared the air Friday.
"(The Vikings) conveyed to me that Christian obviously had a great year last year," Cassel told Star Tribune reporter Mark Craig. "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 whatever capacity that is, and go from there."
Honestly, it's not like Cassel is the biggest threat in the world. He completed just 57.7 percent of his passes as a four-year starter in Kansas City. Cassel was 19-28 as the No. 1 in the regular season and was benched for Brady Quinn last year.
This is the year the Vikings need find out what they have in Ponder. They're coming off a playoff berth, added a two-time Pro Bowl receiver in Greg Jennings and still have the reigning MVP in Adrian Peterson. Year No. 3 is the time for Ponder to take another step and prove he is the franchise quarterback.
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
