Christian Ponder says Vikings' dynamic has changed
For Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder, his status and the football team he's employed by have undergone watershed change since the team signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman.
Ponder acknowledged to reporters, via Viking Update, that the “dynamics of this organization” are different now.
Ponder doesn't seem like he'll be starting this week with Matt Cassel likely to play in his place and eventually Freeman.
“I would be lying if I didn’t say it’s a little disappointing and frustrating,” Ponder said. “I’m not going to get too discouraged about it. I’m a man of faith and I know God’s in control. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know what the next few weeks, few months, hold. We’ll see how everything plays out. But I’m working on a lot of things during practice and trying to get better as a quarterback. I’m enjoying it, being out here with the guys. Who knows how it’s going to play out?”
Ponder was limited in practice with a rib injury that has sidelined him.
"There’s still a little stiffness and a little bit of pain," he said. "But it’s come a long way in two weeks. The bye week definitely helped me."
What about his future?
“Some of the dynamics of this organization have changed, obviously, with bringing in Josh," Ponder said. "But I’m preparing like I’m going to be on the field, and my biggest focus is to control what I can control. And what’s out of my hands is out of my hands. It’s a waste of energy and thought to think about what could happen and what might not happen.
"I’m just trying to enjoy these moments because life in the NFL doesn’t last long, whether you have a long career for 15 years. But when you look at it in life, 15 years out of, say, 90 years is a short window, so you got to enjoy every minute of it, even when things aren’t going the best. And I’m going to see how it plays out. It’ll be interesting to see.”
Does Ponder want to be traded? Not necessarily.
“A trade would be difficult to deal with,” Ponder said. "I have no idea what’s going to happen. I hope to still be here. It’s the front office’s call. You never know – as we’ve seen the past week – what’s going to happen."
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Aaron Wilson covers the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun.
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This story originally appeared on Nationalfootballpost.com
