When the Minnesota Vikings opted to select Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder with the 12th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, high expectations were immediately given to the young signal caller to help lead the franchise back years of consistent success.
By his third season with the team, he was already getting benched and his future with the Vikings was beginning to look bleak at best. During the 2014 offseason, the final nail was placed in Ponder’s purple coffin when Minnesota drafted his replacement in Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
Ponder got one more shot to prove he belonged in the NFL in 2014 when the Vikings were forced to start him in their Week 5 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.