The Minnesota Vikings are coming into the season with high expectations at quarterback and a Christian Ponder trade could be in the cards if Teddy Bridgewater gets playing time, as the Vikes have Matt Cassel as well and a team like the San Francisco 49ers could be an option, as their backup Blaine Gabbert has struggled in the preseason and Jim Harbaugh could look at making an upgrade.
Gabbert was acquired in a trade with the Jaguars in the offseason, so there is a good chance the Niners will sit tight, but since Colin Kaepernick is mobile and could get nicked up this season, the team would be wise to make sure their backup is capable. According to ESPN.com, the Vikings are not looking to trade Ponder right now, as Norv Turner said that he has been impressed with his work ethic and play this preseason and he could have a place alongside Cassel and Bridgewater.
The Vikings opened camp with the three players battling for the starting job and now it looks like Bridgewater and Cassel will be the main two quarterbacks. Ponder has been a disappointment since being a first round pick for the Vikings, but Turner has spoken highly of him and he sees value in keeping him around. The Vikings and other teams with backup QBs like the Pats and Ryan Mallett were mentioned in trade rumors this summer, but those teams opted to keep their veteran backups as insurance for injuries and other situations.
The Vikings likely could have moved Ponder already, but they feel that keeping him for now is the right move since Cassel could get injured and if Bridgewater is not ready to come in and start, the season could be a disaster. The Vikings won five games last season and Ponder was injured for part of the year and now he could get the chance to play a bit more depending on how things play out. The fans booed him hard and that is always tough to deal with, but Turner also added that he took all that in stride and did not let it bother him.
Gabbert was traded for by the 49ers earlier in the offseason and so far he has struggled in the preseason. The last game against the Broncos was tough and while it's the preseason, no one likes to get shut out and Gabbert is coming in after debuting against the Ravens and going with 5 of 15 for 44 yards and he did not look good at all. The team also has Josh Johnson and one reason the team may stick with Gabbert is that the Niners gave up a draft pick for him.
