As Expected, Christian Ponder Survives Roster Cuts
By Dan Zinski
Viking fans who were hoping today would be the day that Christian Ponder finally got his walking papers from Rick Spielman…sorry, but you’ll have to wait a little while longer for your moment of satisfaction.
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When final cuts were announced a short while ago, Christian Ponder’s name was not listed. Ponder remains on the Vikings’ roster as the #3 quarterback as of now.
And he will remain on the roster as the #3 quarterback for the foreseeable future.
Was there a good argument for the Vikings to cut Ponder? Money-wise the question was irrelevant, with Ponder’s dead money still counting against the cap whether he is on the team or not.
Roster-wise, an argument could have been made for dumping Ponder. One less quarterback would allow the Vikings to keep one more defensive lineman, or one more running back, or one more offensive lineman.
Ultimately, the Vikings determined that keeping Ponder wouldn’t significantly hamper them in other areas.
It would be fun to know how close the Vikings came to moving on from Ponder, if indeed the prospect was ever discussed, but that’s not something we’ll ever find out.
Of course, I suppose the possibility remains that a trade could be worked out at some point in the near future. The rumors surely won’t die as long as teams like the Rams continue to have unsettled QB situations.
But for the time-being, Ponder remains a Viking. Annoying as that may be to some people.