The Minnesota Vikings invested a first-round pick in Christian Ponder and they intend on seeing that through. While it appears Ponder's time with the team is essentially over after he was benched last season and Teddy Bridgewater was drafted in the first round. However, Minnesota believes there is something that Ponder can bring to the table and they will give him one more chance to prove himself on the field.
According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network, the Vikings are pushing a three-way quarterback competition over releasing or trading anyone. Right now the battle is for the backup spot. The Vikings re-signed veteran quarterback Matt Cassel to a new two-year deal with the idea that he would be a stop-gap player while newly drafted Bridgewater develops. That seems to leave Ponder the odd man out, but Breer stresses that right now Ponder is going nowhere.
Ponder has faced trade rumors most of the offseason. The Vikings declined his fifth-year option and it looked like they were ready to move on from the first-round bust as soon as possible. The issue is that Ponder has been on the market the entire offseason and not one team has shown interest in him. While the Vikings certainly want to get something in return, most teams are under the impression that Ponder could be released and would be cheaper to sign than trade for.
So while Cassel and Bridgewater are the future in Minnesota, where could Ponder land. According to Chris Wesseling of NFL.com, if Ponder is released, teams like the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers could be options. Ponder still has talent and with time could develop into a strong player. The Falcons need someone behind Matt Ryan as do the Saints with Drew Brees. The Packers have Matt Flynn, but could use one more body. Ponder can be a solid system player and he is young and mobile. Any team that picks him up will have a quality backup to work with.
Having Cassel as the wise veteran will be beneficial to Bridgewater, again leaving Ponder on the outside looking in. Head coach Mike Zimmer is hoping the rookie can sit and learn from Cassel. However, TMZ cameras recently caught Cassel at Los Angeles International Airport and when asked about teaching Bridgewater, the quarterback simply said, "I guess you can call it that." He then referred to the backup as "just a teammate." Likely just taken back by an airport interview, it would be surprise if Cassel was unhappy with the idea a rookie could take his spot on the team.
