Just one day after San Francisco 49ers HC Chip Kelly announced the news that QB Thad Lewis was lost for the season, the team went ahead and signed journeyman QB Christian Ponder to a one-year deal. The former first-round pick (No. 12) in the 2011 NFL Draft, Ponder was selected just two picks behind 49ers current starter QB Blaine Gabbert.
At 6-2, 229, Ponder is the prototypical quarterback in terms of HWS (Height-Weight-Speed). However, like 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick the knock on him coming out of Florida State, was his inability to read defensive concepts and pre-snap recognition.