Column: Garrett Wampler, Staff Notes

There is a quarterback situation brewing with the Minnesota Vikings, and this year it doesn’t revolve around No. 4.

However it involves No. 5, Donovan McNabb, formerly of the Washington Redskins.

But didn’t the Vikings just draft Christian Ponder with the 12th pick in the draft to be Brett Favre’s successor?

They did but it looks like they want him to ride the pine-pony for a while and learn the game. Either that or Ponder’s injury-prone past has Vikings officials overly concerned to make a reach for McNabb, cheaper veterans like Jake Delhomme and Marc Bulger are available on the free-agent market.

As the trade for McNabb becomes official, it signifies one thing to Viking’s fans: You will not see Christian Ponder this season unless McNabb starts off the season poorly.

I can understand wanting the security of a proven leader like McNabb, who at one point in his career led the Philadelphia Eagles to four straight NFC Championship games between 2001 and ’05, and one Super Bowl which they lost to New England.

Ponder has also been injury prone during his collegiate career at Florida State.

In 2009, he suffered a third-degree shoulder separation in an attempt to tackle a defender that had intercepted him. During his senior season he missed two games with an inflamed bursa sac in his throwing arm and a concussion.

McNabb should be able to direct the offense of the Vikings, much the same way that Favre did during his first season: Rely on the run game to set up the passing game and when the situation calls for it, allow McNabb to throw 30 to 40 passes in a game.

Hopefully, allowing Ponder to catch up to the speed of the game can somehow help him in the future prove that he was warranted as the number 12 pick in the draft, because as of now it was still a heck of a reach.