The Minnesota Vikings Traded Percy Harvin Because He Didn't Think Their Quarterback Was Any Good

The Minnesota Vikings traded wide receiver Percy Harvin to Seattle in a surprise deal yesterday.

There were two sensible reasons to trade Harvin: 1) he has a history of injuries (migraines specifically), and 2) he wanted a new contract.

But the "final straw" was something else entirely. According to Yahoo's Jason Cole, the Vikings pulled the trigger on the trade because Harvin didn't think starting QB Christian Ponder was good. From Cole:

"According to two sources, the straw that broke the Vikings' back with Harvin is when he bemoaned the fact that quarterback Christian Ponder, a 2011 first-round pick, was not good enough."

That is a strange reason to trade a player.

Cole paints Harvin as a malcontent in his article, and frames the fact that he thinks Ponder stinks as a sign of disloyalty.

But what's the logic here?

By all measures, Ponder was an average to below average quarterback last year. He was 31st in yards per attempt, 23rd in passing TDs, 21st in passer rating, and 17th in INTs.

He was moderately effective and nothing more, and his play declined sharply late in the year.

Thinking that the Vikings should bring in a new quarterback (as Harvin reportedly did) is a totally rational response to what Ponder did last year, and an opinion that's in the best interest of the team.

Even though it might be the wrong opinion (Ponder is still young, and they probably shouldn't give up on him yet), there's nothing wrong with having it.

But the Vikings apparently saw this is a meaningful violation of team spirit, and shipped Harvin off to Seattle because he refused to say the ~21st best quarterback in the NFL is a good player.

It's just a petty and illogical rationale for trading an exceedingly talented player.