Matt Cassel

And by the time Cassel returns from his injury in 2015, he'll likely be confronted with the reality that the Vikings' quarterback job now belongs to Bridgewater on a permanent basis. Yet, a quarterback whose career arc includes a number of hairpin turns is trying to keep his injury in perspective.

"Any time you get something taken away -- and especially at your job -- it's always difficult," Cassel said. "But at the same time, I'm staying involved. I'm coming in every single day. I've been in meetings every day. That part's kept my morale high. I've had a little extra time with the family, and that's been great, but you definitely miss the competitive process of being out there every single day."

The broken foot is the first season-ending injury Cassel's had, and he's trying to stay as connected to the team as he can. Working with Bridgewater -- with whom Cassel already had a good relationship -- has helped that process; Cassel said he's continued to make Bridgewater aware of matchups he should keep in mind on Sundays, and added he watches games on TV with a keen interest in making sure Bridgewater goes to the right place with the ball.

"I think Teddy's done a tremendous job in a difficult situation," Cassel said. "Last week was an outstanding performance by him, especially those big plays he made down the stretch. That's something I think you're going to see a lot out of Teddy. He's still growing. He's 21 years old. He's a rookie. He's been shoved in the lineup, and he's done a great job."

Cassel said he's having both Bridgewater and Christian Ponder over for tacos on Thursday night, when Louisville takes on Florida State. Is that to calm any rising tensions between the quarterbacks as their alma maters face off?

"I just want to make sure it happens in front of me," Cassel joked.