Ponder was drafted in 2011 by the Minnesota Vikings with the 12th overall pick. He would go on to start 26 games during his first two seasons with the Vikings. His best season came in 2012 when he started all 16 games for the Vikings, completing 62.1 percent of his passes for 2,935 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
During his college career, Ponder played for Florida State and was the Seminoles' starting quarterback from 2008 to 2010.
Ponder, who grew up a Broncos fan, signed with Denver in November of 2015, but was waived the next month. The 49ers will practice with the Broncos this week prior to their Week 2 preseason matchup in Denver on Saturday.
The 49ers went through a team walk-through/practice today with just two quarterbacks. Colin Kaepernick is suffering for shoulder soreness and has not fully practiced with the team since Wednesday, August 10. That was six days ago. He missed Sunday's preseason game against the Houston Texans – a game that saw backup quarterback Thad Lewis suffer a torn ACL.
Lewis, who was officially placed on injured reserve today, will miss the season and Kaepernick's status remains unclear despite head coach Chip Kelly calling it "day-to-day."
49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert, Kaepernick, and Ponder were all part of the same 2011 NFL Draft class.
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