Chip Kelly also wanted to sign Christian Ponder when he was the Eagles coach

Kelly, now in his first year with the 49ers, seems to be really fond of Ponder

We like to imagine the conversation went something like this: "We HAVE to have Christian Ponder!"

We also like to imagine that phrase was uttered by exactly one person on the planet, and he said it twice.

On Tuesday, the 49ers signed Ponder to a one-year deal after backup quarterback Thad Lewis was lost for the season with a knee injury. Last year, the Eagles tried to sign Ponder, who instead inked a deal with the Raiders, and instead turned to Lewis.

The common thread to all this? Chip Kelly, the 49ers coach who was the coach in Philadelphia from 2013-15.

"We did [want Ponder on the Eagles],'' Kelly admitted in remarks distributed by the 49ers, via NJ.com. "We were trying to bring him in, but he ended up going back to Oakland. [Raiders offensive coordinator] Bill Musgrave, who was the quarterback coach for me in Philadelphia [in 2013], was his offensive coordinator when he was with the Vikings. So, I don't know whether it was staying on the West Coast or a familiarity with Bill, but we had talked about bringing him in when I was in Philly last year."

The Vikings selected Ponder with the 12th overall pick in 2011. That draft is perhaps best remembered for the dearth of quality first-round quarterbacks behind No. 1 selection Cam Newton. Jake Locker went No. 8 to the Titans, Blaine Gabbert went No. 10 to the Jags, and Ponder went No. 12.

Locker is now out of the NFL and Gabbert is now the starter-by-default in San Francisco after he washed out in Jacksonville. The Vikings, meanwhile, let Ponder walk after four underwhelming seasons. He signed with the Raiders in March 2015 but was released before the season. He signed briefly with the Broncos late last season but was let go a few weeks later. He remained out of work until Kelly and the 49ers came calling this week.

Kelly arrived in the NFL with a reputation for getting the most out of his quarterbacks, and that legend grew in 2013, when Nick Foles threw 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions. But the magic waned in 2014 and things went sideways in a hurry last season, when Kelly traded for Sam Bradford. Now he's tasked with making something of Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick, who has yet to play in the preseason because of a tired arm.