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Some 49ers want Christian Ponder to start

San Francisco 49ers v Denver Broncos

DENVER, CO - AUGUST 20: Quarterbacks Christian Ponder #5 and Blaine Gabbert of the San Francisco 49ers celebrate and shake hands after a 31-24 win over the Denver Broncos a preseason NFL game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on August 20, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

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If you think the 49ers are in the midst of a quarterback controversy involving Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick, you don’t know the whole story.

Some players on the 49ers believe third-string quarterback Christian Ponder should be the starter, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reports.

“Ponder is the best option for quarterback on the roster,” one unnamed source said.

Gabbert has played badly this year, and coach Chip Kelly acknowledged after Thursday night’s loss that he’s considering benching Gabbert and starting Kaepernick. Previously Kelly said Kaepernick isn’t ready to start because he’s still recovering from multiple offseason injuries.

Ponder was the Vikings’ first-round draft pick in 2011 and hasn’t appeared in a regular season game since 2014.