AP

Matt Cassel has been a Pro Bowler, and he’s been benched.

So even though his being named the Vikings’ starting quarterback wasn’t a surprise, he admitted it was gratifying.

“I’ve been through a lot in my career,” Cassel said, via Mark Craig of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “I’ve been through the ups, I’ve been through the downs. I’ve been through the highs and the lows, so at this point, nothing really surprises me in my career. So I think because of those, it calluses you to a few different situations that as a younger player, I might not have taken it as well.”

Cassel has been steady, and not even the precocious play of first-rounder Teddy Bridgewater (no turnovers, 117.1 passer rating) was enough to shake it.

Bridgewater was understanding, praising Cassel’s leadership and confident about his future role.

“As I stated once I got drafted, I felt like this was the perfect situation for me,” Bridgewater said. “Right now, I’m just able to learn, sit back and continue to learn, but also learn and prepare myself as a starter because as a backup you’re one play away from being out there on the gridiron with the guys.”

Giving Cassel the job is the safe play, but it might also be best for Bridgewater’s development, no matter how well he’s played in the preseason.