Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder said he understands that he may be No. 3 on the depth chart when the season starts.
That is, if the Vikings keep three quarterbacks on the roster. Otherwise, Ponder could be traded or released by the end of training camp.
Veteran Matt Cassel is No. 1 on the depth chart and rookie Teddy Bridgewater is also getting more reps in practice than Ponder, the incumbent starter.
Ponder was a first-round draft choice in 2011.
“We’ll see how it plays out once it goes to training camp,” Ponder said Saturday, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, “but obviously there’s an agenda to try to get Teddy ready, and Cassel’s the starter right now.”
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The Vikings hope that Bridgewater will start eventually, but plan for Cassel to be ahead of him on the depth chart as the team enters training camp next month.
“(Bridgewater) is good,” Ponder said. “He’s got a great arm, and he’s very accurate. He spins the ball really well. He’s picking up things pretty quickly. I like him a lot.”
That could leave Ponder as the odd man out.
“It’s not awkward - I understand what’s going on,” Ponder said. “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.”
