Christian Ponder - Pro Football Rumors

49ers To Sign Christian Ponder

August 16th, 2016 at 2:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have agreed to sign quarterback Christian Ponder, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Ponder was a part of the same 2011 draft class as Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick. Oddly enough, they’ve all wound up on the same team.

The Niners found themselves in need of QB help as Thad Lewis is IR-bound and Kaepernick is said to be dealing with arm trouble. While some teams (like the Cowboys) have considered veteran trade targets at QB like Josh McCown, the 49ers opted to go with a low-cost free agent signing in Ponder.

Ponder, 28, started 36 games during his four years with the Vikings, though he was essentially the team’s No. 3 signal-caller in 2014, behind Teddy Bridgewater and Matt Cassel on the depth chart. With a career 59.8% completion rate and 75.9 passer rating, Ponder didn’t find a very active market when he hit free agency last offseason. He signed with the Raiders, but was released by Oakland prior to the regular season. During the season, he had a cup of coffee with the Broncos but never threw a pass for them.

The Bengals were tied to Ponder in December, but we haven’t heard any team linked with him since. Now, Ponder will try to get his NFL career back on track with the 49ers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bengals Eyeing Ryan Mallett, Christian Ponder

December 14th, 2015 at 11:04am CST by Zachary Links

In the wake of Andy Dalton‘s broken right thumb – widely thought to be a season-ender – the Bengals are considering their options at quarterback. The Bengals have reached out to both Ryan Mallett and Christian Ponder as they look for QB support, a league source told PFT.

At present, A.J. McCarron is the only other quarterback on the active roster and therefore is slated to take over as the starter. The Bengals also have Keith Wenning on the taxi squad and he seems like a candidate for promotion, but one that would be largely unproven should the injury bug bite McCarron. Last year’s No. 2 QB Jason Campbell could, theoretically, also get a call, but he has made it clear that he is staying retired.

Dalton will assuredly miss next week’s contest against the 49ers, and even in a best case scenario, he’ll likely miss the following week’s game against Denver. That contest, which had always loomed large on the schedule, has taken on extra importance as both clubs vie for those top two seeds. If Dalton misses the remainder of the regular season, he’ll also be be out for Cincinnati’s final regular season game against division foe Baltimore.

The man tasked with guiding the Bengals through that gauntlet in the absence of Dalton will be McCarron, Cincinnati’s fifth-round pick in last year’s draft. The 25-year-old didn’t play a single snap last season (and notably, was unable to even practice, having been relegated to the non-football injury list all year), and until this week, had seen just three snaps in relief of Dalton. Against the Steelers today, McCarron completed 22 of 32 attempts for 280 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.

Broncos Cut Christian Ponder

December 8th, 2015 at 3:27pm CST by Luke Adams

After carrying four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster for the last two weeks, the Broncos have reduced that number to three, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived veteran signal-caller Christian Ponder. The move leaves the team with an opening on its 53-man roster, which remains unfilled for now.

Ponder, 27, started 36 games during his four years with the Vikings, though he was essentially the team’s No. 3 signal-caller in 2014, behind Teddy Bridgewater and Matt Cassel on the depth chart. With a career 59.8% completion rate and 75.9 passer rating, Ponder didn’t find a very active market when he hit free agency this offseason — he ultimately signed with the Raiders, but was released by Oakland prior to the regular season.

When Peyton Manning went down with a foot injury, the Broncos signed Ponder to add some veteran depth at the quarterback position, even though Brock Osweiler and rookie Trevor Siemian were ahead of him on the depth chart. With Manning’s health improving and Osweiler looking very capable in the starting role, having a veteran like Ponder around as an insurance policy was no longer crucial.

Ponder will become a free agent once again if and when he clears waivers. As for the Broncos, they’ll use the open roster spot to add secondary depth, tweets Mike Klis of 9NEWS.

Broncos Sign Christian Ponder

November 25th, 2015 at 12:36pm CST by Luke Adams

12:36pm: The Broncos have placed edge defender Kenny Anunike on injured reserve, ending his season, in order to clear a spot on the roster for Ponder, tweets Mike Klis of 9News.

11:30am: After hosting him for a visit, the Broncos will sign quarterback Christian Ponder to a contract, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). With Peyton Manning injured, but still on the active roster, the Ponder signing will give Denver four quarterbacks on its 53-man squad.

Ponder, 27, started 36 games during his four years with the Vikings, though he was essentially the team’s No. 3 signal-caller in 2014, behind Teddy Bridgewater and Matt Cassel on the depth chart. With a career 59.8% completion rate and 75.9 passer rating, Ponder didn’t find a very active market when he hit free agency this offseason — he ultimately signed with the Raiders, but was released by Oakland prior to the regular season.

With Manning sidelined in Denver for at least a couple more weeks, the Broncos will lean on Brock Osweiler as the starter and seventh-round rookie Trevor Siemian as the backup for now. As Rapoport explains (via Twitter), Ponder will start as No. 3 on the depth chart while he learns the offense, and could eventually move up to No. 2, but that’s not a given, since the Broncos like Siemian.

The Broncos put in a waiver claim on Jimmy Clausen this week, after the signal-caller was cut by the Bears. While the Ravens ended up landing Clausen, the fact that Denver submitted a claim suggested that the team wanted to add another veteran to the mix, with its only two healthy quarterbacks having combined for a single NFL start.

Peyton Manning Out For At Least Two More Weeks

November 24th, 2015 at 7:41pm CST by Zachary Links

Peyton Manning is expected to miss at least the next two weeks as he continues his recovery from a plantar fascia tear, as Andrew Mason of DenverBroncos.com writes. Manning will spend at least the next week in a walking cast before beginning additional rehabilitation.

“Peyton and I had a good visit today, and we’ve got a plan in place for his recovery,” head coach Gary Kubiak said. “His foot will be in a cast for at least a week, but he’ll be able to be part of meetings and do some workouts with the rest of the team. We expect him to be unavailable for at least a couple of games. We’ll proceed from there and will continue to support him as he does everything he can to get healthy.”

Manning became the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yardage in his Week 10 start, but the milestone was the lone bright spot in a dreadful performance that included four interceptions and just five completions on 20 passing attempts. Frankly, Manning hasn’t looked right for most of the 2015 season, and he has also been dealing with a rib issue. With Manning ailing, the Broncos will continue to ride with backup Brock Osweiler.

Osweiler, 25, has an opportunity to boost his stock on the open market this winter, since the former second-round pick is in a contract year. More immediately, Osweiler will be tasked with keeping the Broncos atop the AFC West. If Manning’s injury keeps him out for an extended period, he could conceivably be Denver’s playoff starter.

The Broncos are also expected to expected to work out former Vikings starter Christian Ponder on Wednesday, per the report.

Workout Notes: Patriots, Texans, Chargers

November 3rd, 2015 at 6:08pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest workouts from around the NFL:

The Titans worked out quarterback Christian Ponder, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider (Twitter links). The team also auditioned linebacker Yannik Cudjoe Virgil plus tight ends Michael Egnew, Kevin Greene, Connor Hamlett, and Ryan Taylor.
The Patriots worked out tight end Cameron Clear, kicker Garrett Hartley, punter Will Johnson, punter Cody Mandell, long snapper Tyler Ott, cornerback Garry Peters, kicker Matt Wile, and long snapper Christian Yount, Wilson tweets.
The Texans worked out running back Cyrus Gray, center Josh Allen, center Dalton Freeman, center Eric Kush, guard Jacques McClendon, and center Daniel Munyer, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
The Chargers are working out former Eastern Washington offensive tackle Jake Rodgers today, according to a source who spoke with Wilson (on Twitter).
Slot wide receiver Damaris Johnson is working out for the Jets today, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) adds Jarrett Boykin, Aldrick Robinson, and Greg Salas to that list. The Jets also worked out tight end David Ausberry, a source tells ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini (on Twitter).
The Bills worked out running back Mike Gillislee and defensive backs Jocquel Skinner and Robert Steeples, Wilson tweets.
The 49ers also worked out Gillislee, Wilson tweets.
The 49ers worked out former Texans linebacker Lynden Trail and ex-Chargers corner Chris Davis, Wilson tweets. Davis, 24, signed with the Bolts in 2014 as a UDFA out of Auburn. The Chargers cut Davis on September 1st.
The Colts worked out offensive guards Ben Heenan and Donald Thomas on Saturday, Wilson tweets. Indianapolis also brought in linebacker Josh Martin for a visit, Wilson adds.
Tight ends James Casey and Adrien Robinson worked out for the Giants on Tuesday, sources tell Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (via Twitter).
The Ravens worked out wide receivers Joe Morgan and Chuck Jacobs along with quarterback Chase Rettig, as Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets.

Cowboys To Audition Ponder, Flynn, Johnson

September 21st, 2015 at 8:30pm CST by Zachary Links

8:30pm: In addition to Johnson, the Cowboys will also audition Christian Ponder, sources tell Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram (on Twitter). Matt Flynn will also audition on Tuesday, per Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Meanwhile, Kyle Orton is not a real possibility for the Cowboys thanks to his fractured relationship with the club and his own bad personal relationship with Romo, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets.

5:05pm: The Cowboys have reached out to a few veteran quarterbacks, according to CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora (on Twitter). Dallas called reps for both Jason Campbell and Josh Johnson, among others, per La Canfora. Johnson will work out for Dallas, but Campbell will remain in his state of quasi-retirement for now.

While Dallas scopes out the market for signal callers, La Canfora (link) hears that the Saints do not plan to do the same at this time. Of course, that could change with starter Drew Brees potentially out for several games.

In related news, coach Jason Garrett says they’ll consider putting Tony Romo on IR-DTR as the week goes on, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets. Nothing is decided on that front yet, however, and the upside right now is that Romo’s tests revealed zero ligament damage. Romo fractured his clavicle on Sunday, the same injury that caused him to miss the final 10 games of the season in 2010.

Raiders Reached Out To Christian Ponder

September 14th, 2015 at 3:50pm CST by Zachary Links

3:50pm: The Raiders got positive news on Carr’s thumb and he could conceivably play on Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. If Carr is good to go, that could put plans for signing Ponder on hold.

2:55pm: Raiders quarterback Derek Carr will have an MRI on his injured hand today and the team doesn’t expect him to play Sunday, sources told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. With Carr potentially sidelined, the Raiders have reached out to quarterback Christian Ponder to express their interest.

Ponder was in camp with the Raiders this summer but he was a roster casualty when Oakland reduced its roster to 53. The Eagles were quick to express their interest in the former No. 12 overall pick, but he declined to work out for them, citing family reasons, according to Mortensen.

Ponder, 27, started 36 games during his four years with the Vikings, though he was essentially the team’s No. 3 signal-caller in 2014, behind Teddy Bridgewater and Matt Cassel on the depth chart. With a career 59.8% completion rate and 75.9 passer rating, Ponder didn’t find a very active market when he hit free agency this offseason. His best season came in 2012, when he threw 18 TDs and 12 picks for a playoff-bound team.

Eagles Have Interest In Christian Ponder

September 5th, 2015 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Within the last 24 hours, the Eagles have traded Matt Barkley to Arizona and cut Tim Tebow, but the team still appears open to the idea of carrying three quarterbacks. According to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter), Philadelphia has interest in Christian Ponder, who is expected to be cut by the Raiders today if they can’t find a trade partner.

As Getlin notes, Chip Kelly and the Eagles have always maintained that they want to put together a roster of “the best 53.” Given Sam Bradford‘s injury history, it also makes sense that the club would want some insurance at the quarterback position. Currently, Mark Sanchez is the only backup on the roster for Bradford.

NFl veterans on a roster for a team’s Week 1 game will have their salaries guaranteed, so the Eagles may decide to carry just two quarterbacks into their first regular season contest before adding a third QB later. The team could also explore including a signal-caller on the practice squad.

Raiders To Release Christian Ponder

September 4th, 2015 at 8:39pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Raiders will release quarterback Christian Ponder, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). As a result, Oakland will absorb $1.5MM in dead money this year, per Caplan (via Twitter). Ponder’s departure means Matt McGloin will serve as Derek Carr‘s primary backup.

Ponder, a first-round pick from Florida State in 2011, spent the first four years of his career as a Viking. He appeared in 38 regular-season games and made 36 starts, struggling throughout his tenure in Minnesota to live up to his draft status. The 27-year-old threw 38 touchdowns against 36 interceptions and had a sub-60 percent completion rate with the Vikings. His best season was 2012, when he threw 18 TDs and 12 picks for a playoff-bound team.

The Raiders signed Ponder to a one-year, $2.25MM deal during the offseason in the hopes that he’d replace Matt Schaub as a quality backup for Carr. However, he was outdone in the preseason by McGloin and will now look for work elsewhere.