Mike Zimmer may have just killed whatever remaining suspense there might have been in the battle for the Minnesota Vikings' starting quarterback position.

Cassel will start on Saturday; Bridgewater could see time with first team, but Zimmer didn't say for sure. — Ben Goessling (@GoesslingESPN) August 18, 2014

So, in his return to his old stomping grounds, veteran Matt Cassel will lead the Vikings on to the field at Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs. With this being Cassel's third straight pre-season start, one would think that the only way that Cassel would lose the starting job now would be if he were to get injured against the Chiefs this Saturday or something like that.

Speaking of which, Zimmer also announced that linebacker Gerald Hodges and cornerback Jabari Price would not suit up against the Chiefs. Hodges is nursing a knee injury that he suffered this past Saturday against Arizona, while Price appears to be dealing with an ankle issue.

While Hodges' spot on the roster is probably secure after a pretty solid pre-season to this point, Price likely still has some work to do. Hopefully the rookie out of North Carolina will be ready when the fourth pre-season game rolls around, even though there are only four down days between Saturday's game in Kansas City and next Thursday's tilt with the Tennessee Titans.