Last week, the Raiders announced that they had signed former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder to a deal in free agency. The deal is for one year, and will see Ponder head to the AFC West. The Raiders relied heavily upon quarterbacks Matt Schaub (who was also released last week after they signed Ponder to a deal) and then-rookie Derek Carr. Ponder will enter the mix as likely the main back up to Carr, the so-called “veteran leader” at the quarterback position on the team, but will be offering so, so, much more to the Raiders “Black Hole.”
He’ll be the best god damn Shirtless Quarterback the Raiders have ever seen.
Let’s review. Christian Ponder was never the best Vikings quarterback, probably not even the best Vikings quarterback when he was on the roster. He went through plenty of ups and downs after he was drafted too high by an inept front office that was desperate for a quarterback to lead the team into the future. Ponder, selected 12th overall in the 2011 NFL draft out of Florida State, was part of a QB class that produced a couple of gems ala Cam Newton and Colin Kaepernick, but more duds like Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, and … Christian Ponder.
Thrust into the Vikings spotlight much too soon – starting 10 games as a rookie including his notable first start against the Green Bay Packers where his first NFL throw was a 72-yard near-touchdown bomb to Michael Jenkins – Ponder was never able to find success in purple. Between below-average receiving options and questionable offensive line play, Ponder consistently found himself scrambling to prevent a broken neck or throwing at the feet of covered receivers for much of his Vikings career. This lack of sustained success frustrated Vikings fans and ultimately drove him out of favor with the team.
Except under one condition; when he would throw the football around without a shirt on. And boy, did he!
Christian Ponder isn’t the first quarterback to not wear a shirt. Others have gone fully shirtless – either while enjoying a summer vacation on the lake, or even if testing the waters by rolling the belly of the shirt up to expose a little midriff – but none have truly made a career out of it like Ponder did. Debuting his shirtless flair when he did an interview with KARE 11, Ponder showed potential as a shirtless quarterback for the first time. However, strict NFL uniform guidelines would hamstring him throughout his career, preventing him from fully taking advantage of his chesty advantage. Whereas sans shirt he was breathtaking, stunning, and something worth cheering for, a shirted Christian Ponder was a mediocre quarterback that never hit his stride.
Alas, Ponder may never realize his full potential because of these restrictions. With the Raiders he will largely be the backup to young stud Derek Carr, helping him process what they see on the field and pointing out open receivers Ponder never would have hit either on the coaches tablet. All while wearing a stifling jersey. And that, unfortunately, may be the story of the rest of Ponder’s career; Shirted Potential.
However, in Minnesota, Vikings fans will always know better. The man behind the shirt is the quarterback we would have always wanted, but quite possibly not the quarterback we would deserve. So here’s to you, Shirtless Ponder. May your talents some day come to fruition in that hot California sun.
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