The Minnesota Vikings announced that starting quarterback Matt Cassel will miss the remainder of the 2014 NFL season after sustaining broken bones in his left foot on Sunday.

Cassel, who has completed 41-of-71 passes for 425 yards in his first three games this season, hurt his foot during a scramble in the second quarter of their 20-9 loss to the New Orleans Saints. The 32-year-old was carted to the locker room and underwent X-rays, which revealed the severity of the injury.

"You work so hard in the offseason to give yourself an opportunity to go out there and play, and then to have it happen this early in the season, especially with the belief that I have in this team, the thoughts of going on and having a lot of success this year, and for it to happen this early is super devastating to me," Cassel said in a statement posted on the team's official website.

Without Cassel, rookie quarterback Terry Bridgewater is expected to make the first start of his career and will likely retain the spot for the rest of the season.

The 21-year-old rookie, who completed 12-of-20 passes for 150 yards against the Saints, knows that taking Cassel's spot is a huge challenge, but he is confident that his teammates will make it easier for him to perform his role.

"It's a challenge, but you're talking about some great football players," Bridgewater said via ESPN. "I feel that we have a group of guys in the locker room that are pretty talented also. It's not all about me. I don't have to do it by myself. There are 10 other guys out on the field with me."

Cassel will continue to guide Bridgewater throughout the season, and the 10-year veteran believes that Bridgewater will perform well for the Vikings moving forward.

"I think Teddy will do a tremendous job for us and hopefully I can help him in a mentoring position and be able to help guide him and bring him along," Cassel said.

Bridgewater, the 32nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, will make his first start for the Vikings in their match against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at the TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

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