Christian Ponder knows exactly where he stands with the Minnesota Vikings. After losing his starting job and not having his fifth-year option picked up, Ponder is well-aware that his future is on the line right now. The quarterback has gone from promising face of the franchise to third-stringer fighting for his roster spot. Ponder spoke with the media ahead of mandatory minicamp and noted that this is a very big season for him.
Ponder is fighting for his job. After being replaced last year by Matt Cassel, he now has to worry about rookie Teddy Bridgewater who was drafted simply because Ponder failed to meet expectations. After being drafted in the first round, the quarterback has still not taken a leap to the next level and forced Minnesota to make other arrangements. Ponder spoke with the Pioneer Press and confirmed that Cassel was indeed the starter while Bridgewater was being groomed as the future.
"I'll get opportunities through training camp and preseason to try to earn a spot," Ponder said, via Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press. "It's not awkward - I understand what's going on. I had some opportunities that I didn't take full advantage of. If I would have played better, I wouldn't be in the situation here right now. We'll see how it plays out - football's a crazy game."
No one can accuse Ponder of being delusional, that is for sure. Still, the quarterback remains hopeful that he stands a shot at seeing playing time. If Bridgewater struggles in training camp or if Cassel gets injured, Ponder plans on being prepared to step in right away. The starting job is Cassel's to lose, but Ponder could still do enough to get up to No. 2 on the depth chart.
Financially, the Vikings will not cut Ponder. He is due $1.8 million in guaranteed salary this upcoming year so it would be pointless to take him off the roster. Instead, the Vikings will continue to pursue a trade of the quarterback, something they have been trying to do since the offseason started. So far there are no takers on a deal for Ponder, but training camp could change that.
The Houston Texans plan on releasing some of their quarterback roster and could make a trade for a better option. The Buffalo Bills have not found quarterback success yet and could strike a deal. The New York Giants are reportedly not pleased with Ryan Nassib's progress and with just Curtis Painter on the roster, they too could seek a deal. There are not many options, but if the Vikings are aggressive, they might be able to get a favorable deal during training camp.
