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49ers' desperate quarterback times call for Christian Ponder

The 49ers were hoping Thad Lewis could be a dependable veteran backup this season.

That idea went by the wayside Sunday when Lewis tore the ACL in his left knee. With Colin Kaepernick dealing with a "dead" right arm, that left Blaine Gabbert and rookie Jeff Driskel, a sixth-round pick from Louisiana Tech, as the only healthy quarterbacks on the roster.

Fear not, Niners fans. The team signed former Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder to a one-year deal Tuesday.

Ponder hasn't appeared in a regular-season NFL game since 2014. He was signed as an emergency backup for the Broncos last November but was released two weeks later without ever seeing any game action.