Christian Ponder still has a way to go to prove himself as a franchise-type quarterback in the NFL. But Minnesota Vikings coach Leslie Frazier has seen enough through two seasons to keep Ponder locked in as his starter.
Unofficial list of free agents
Free agency is almost here. Check out this unofficial list of the 2013 NFL restricted and unrestricted free agents for every team. **More ...**
On Wednesday, ESPN's Chris Mortensen relayed a recent conversation with Frazier in which the coach confirmed Ponder will be his guy.
"Leslie Frazier said, 'Go look at his games in December,'" Mortensen said, via Rotoworld. "There were a couple of games in December where they saw the Christian Ponder they drafted. ... They really believe Ponder will continue to get better. He is the starter going into the season. They expect nothing to change that. No competition."
This checks out with what Frazier said in early January, when he called Ponder the team's starter going forward. Ponder missed the Vikings' playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers with a deep triceps bruise, but he played the best game of his career in a Week 17 win over the Green Bay Packers that propelled Minnesota into the postseason.
His performance in the regular-season finale was unquestionably stellar, but it also obscured some bouts of ineptitude in the months that preceded it. Frazier's faith is understandable, but we're far from convinced Ponder is the long-term solution in Minnesota.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
