Just because the Vikings drafted quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in the first round this year, that doesn’t mean they’ve completely given up on the first-round quarterback they drafted in 2011.
Christian Ponder, who was benched last year and is widely expected to be behind both Bridgewater and Matt Cassel on the depth chart this year, will still get a chance to compete for the starting quarterback job in Minnesota. That’s the word from Albert Breer of NFL Network, who reports that the Vikings are pushing competition and will give all three quarterbacks some first-team reps in Organized Team Activities.
NFL teams often say that everyone on the roster has a chance to compete for a starting job, and so it’s no surprise that the Vikings are saying that with Ponder. Coaches think players will work harder in the offseason if they believe that everyone is competing for a spot at the top of the depth chart.
Realistically, however, it would be a huge disappointment in Minnesota if Ponder ends up as the Vikings’ starter when the season begins. If Ponder is the starter, that probably means Bridgewater and Cassel were both disappointing in training camp and the preseason, or they’re both hurt. There’s still a scenario in which Ponder ends up starting for the Vikings, but that looks like a worst-case scenario.