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No one can accuse Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder of being delusional.

While the Vikings have been pushing the notion of a competition for the starting job that includes Ponder alongside Matt Cassel and first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater, Ponder has been taking fewer reps than the other two this spring. He can see that the “agenda” is to groom Cassel as the starter in the short term and that Bridgewater is the future of the position, a state of affairs he says he understands based on what happened when Ponder was previously in the starting lineup.

“I’ll get opportunities through training camp and preseason to try to earn a spot,” Ponder said, via Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press. “It’s not awkward — I understand what’s going on. I had some opportunities that I didn’t take full advantage of. If I would have played better, I wouldn’t be in the situation here right now. We’ll see how it plays out — football’s a crazy game.”

There’s no impetus to release him and trading him is probably a long shot, which means that Ponder should have plenty of time to mull those missed opportunities from the bench. It is a crazy game and crazy things can happen, but Ponder’s return to the lineup in Minnesota would be a sign that things are moving in the wrong direction for the Vikings.