FanIQ › Players

Player

Christian Ponder

QB (retired)

Christian Ponder: facts drawn from the play-by-play.

FanIQ Research · May 10, 2026 · 6 facts, every one from the play-by-play

4-year career, 6,658 passing yards, 38 TDs vs 36 INTs. The 2011 #12 overall MIN pick widely regarded as a 1st-round bust.

Milestone

Career regular-season totals

Stat	Total
Attempts	1,057
Completions	632
Comp %	59.8%
Pass Yards	6,658
Pass TDs	38
INTs	36

Only one season as a full-time starter ended with a winning record: 2012, when MIN went 10-6 and AP rushed for 2,097 yards.

Trend

Ponder year-by-year

Year	Att	Yds	TD	INT
2011	291	1,853	13	13
2012	483	2,935	18	12
2013	239	1,648	7	9
2014	44	222	0	2

Pass yards by year

Season	Yards
2011	1853
2012	2935
2013	1648
2014	222

Career passer rating of 75.9 — among the worst for any QB drafted in the top 15 of the past 20 years.

Anomaly

Top-15 QBs with sub-80 career rating

Player	Pick	Rtg
JaMarcus Russell	#1 (2007)	65.2
Christian Ponder	#12 (2011)	75.9
Blaine Gabbert	#10 (2011)	77.7
Mark Sanchez	#5 (2009)	73.4

His 2012 wild-card playoff appearance was the only postseason game of his career — and he was inactive for it (elbow injury).

Rare

Ponder playoff resume

Year	Result
2012	Wild Card vs GB — DNP (Joe Webb started)

2012 (1 winning year): 18 TDs, 12 INTs, 81.2 rating. All other years combined: 20 TDs, 24 INTs, 71.7 rating.

Split

Ponder 2012 vs everything else

Era	TD	INT	Rtg
2012 only	18	12	81.2
All other yrs	20	24	71.7

He's the lowest-drafted QB to start a playoff season for MIN since the franchise drafted Tommy Kramer in 1977.

Comparison

MIN 1st-round QB picks

Player	Pick (Yr)
Tommy Kramer	#27 (1977)
Daunte Culpepper	#11 (1999)
Christian Ponder	#12 (2011)
Teddy Bridgewater	#32 (2014)
J.J. McCarthy	#10 (2024)

FanIQ answers any NFL stats question with receipts, on your phone.

Get FanIQ free Get it on Google Play