The Minnesota Vikings don't have a victory this season, and they might not have their starting quarterback Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers in London.
With Christian Ponder battling sore ribs, Matt Cassel took the majority of first-team snaps during Wednesday's practice across the pond. Coach Leslie Frazier told reporters, per NFL Media's Aditi Kinkhabwala, that he hopes Ponder will get a larger workload Thursday.
"We want Christian to play," said Frazier, who plans to name a starter by Friday.
None of this is surprising if you follow news-breaker Tom Brady. The New England Patriots quarterback is close to Cassel and told reporters Wednesday that Ponder's understudy "may be starting this weekend."
Ponder was injured in Sunday's loss to the Cleveland Browns, a game that featured Ponder improving for stretches than he got credit for. Even so, there's a natural curiosity from Vikings fans about the veteran Cassel.
On Wednesday's "Around The League Podcast," we dug into Minnesota's shaky quarterback situation. In a week that has included Josh Freeman's benching in Tampa Bay, the winless Vikings tread ripe soil for a switch. Quarterbacks coach Craig Johnson said recently that it's on Ponder to play better during what amounts to a make-or-break season for Minnesota's 2011 first-round draft pick.
If Cassel starts and performs well, Ponder might not have another chance to do so.
*The "Around The League Podcast" broke down every Week 3 game. Click here to listen and subscribe. *
