Christian Ponder was out of work and out of touch with NFL teams last week when suddenly the 49ers dialed his number.
After an injury knocked out Thad Lewis for the season, the Niners had a need for another quarterback in camp and decided to bring in Ponder to take snaps behind Blaine Gabbert, Colin Kaepernick and rookie Jeff Driskel.
Then, just days after reporting – and still clueless about most of the playbook -- Ponder got into Saturday night’s exhibition game in Denver vs. the Broncos and had a spectactular game, completing 7-of-8 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown, while also running 22 yards for a score in a 31-24 victory. His quarterback rating for the night was an almost-perfect 151.
“It was fun,” Ponder told reporters. “I haven’t had that much fun on a football field in a long time. It was great just to win the game.”
Niners head coach Chip Kelly loved what he saw of Ponder against the Broncos and how he was able to come into camp on short notice and suddenly produce in a game.
“That tells you a little bit about him,” Kelly told a writer for the team’s website. “He’s got a real sharp mind.”
But as good as Ponder looked Saturday night – even if it was against third-teamers -- what does it mean for the former first-round draft pick from Florida State?
Raiders
His time on the roster could be short-lived. If Gabbert and Kaepernick are both healthy at the start of the regular season, one is expected to the be starter, with the other the backup. And the 49ers have said they like Driskel, who also is athletic enough that he might make the active roster as a special teams player and punt protector as well as No. 3 quarterback.
Ponder isn’t sure either. At this point, he says he’s not going to worry, but rather just focus on learning the offense and having fun.
“What helped me the most was stepping away for a year,” he told the media. “I think my confidence hurt towards the end of my years in Minnesota. I think that affected my game. I took a step back, took a breather and came back with a different approach.”
For one game, at least, that approach produced tremendous results.
