For the second time in five years, C.J. Ham is headed to the Pro Bowl because the most famous and productive fullback in the NFC will be busy playing in the Super Bowl.
The 49ers defeated the Lions in the NFC championship game on Sunday, meaning Kyle Juszczyk won't be able to participate in the Pro Bowl. So Ham, who was selected as the top alternate at the position, will take his place. The same thing happened after the 2019 season, when the 49ers lost to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. Coincidentally, this year's Super Bowl is a rematch between those two teams.
Ham can now say he's a two-time Pro Bowler, which is a pretty cool resume for the Duluth native who went undrafted out of D-II Augustana in Sioux Falls, SD. He made the Vikings' roster in 2016 after attending rookie minicamp as a tryout player. Eight years later, he's 30 years old, a team captain, and the longest-tenured player on Minnesota's offense. Last offseason, he signed an extension that keeps him under contract through the 2025 campaign.
Even as the importance of the fullback position has faded across the NFL, players like Juszczyk and Ham are still valuable to their teams. Juszczyk's usage and production are unparalleled at the position, but he's not the only fullback left in the league.
This season, Ham played 219 snaps on offense and 242 on special teams. He only touched the ball eight times, but he filled a big role as a pass protector out of the backfield on obvious passing downs.
Ham joins Danielle Hunter and Andrew DePaola as the Vikings' representatives at this weekend's Pro Bowl games.
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