Christian Ponder could lose his starting job with the Minnesota Vikings if he struggles this season, ESPN's Adam Schefter said during an appearance on NFL Live. Though he doesn't think it will happen before Week 1, Schefter believes Matt Cassel is good enough to unseat the incumbent.
Christian Ponder could be on a short leash for the Vikings
The Vikings may be ready to yank Christian Ponder if he struggles this season, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, but how serious is that threat when the backup is Matt Cassel?
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“There are enough people around the league that believe Matt Cassel is good enough to challenge Ponder,” Schefter said.
Ponder's numbers were underwhelming in his second year starting. Even with the help of Adrian Peterson running wild, he averaged a middling 6.1 yards per pass attempt on his way to 62.1 percent passing for 2,935 yards, 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also lost five fumbles on the year.
Of course, Cassel's numbers with the Kansas City Chiefs last year were far worse. In nine games, he averaged a moderately better 6.5 yards per attempt, but threw just six touchdowns to 12 interceptions while completing 58.1 percent of his passes, and he fumbled nine times. Cassel also didn't have an MVP-caliber running back behind him, but it would be a stretch to expect the Vikings to hand him the keys to the offense after investing so much in Ponder.
The Vikings were able to sneak into the playoffs last year with Ponder at quarterback, so expect the team to give him every opportunity to shine.
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