Vikings FB C.J. Ham Retires

Ham went undrafted in 2016, but the Duluth, Minnesota native signed with his hometown team. That marked the beginning of a lengthy career spent entirely with the Vikings. Ham took on fullback duties in 2017 and continued in that capacity for a total of nine seasons.

During that span, the Augustana product emerged as one of the league’s top fullbacks. In an era where full-time players at the position have become few and far between, Ham managed to remain a rotational presence on offense throughout his Vikings tenure. He was a Pro Bowler in 2019 and again in 2023 based largely on his strong special teams play, something which stayed consistent through this past season.

In all, Ham played roughly 2,300 snaps on both offense and special teams. He totaled triple-digit scrimmage yards each season from 2019-21, the stretch which also included his heaviest usage rates on offense. Over the past few years, Ham saw his role and playing time decline. That likely would have continued into the future had the pending free agent inked another deal with the Vikings.

Instead, Ham will turn his attention to his post-playing days at the age of 32. In all, he played 147 combined regular and postseason games during his Vikings tenure. Ham totaled roughly $19.5MM in career earnings while playing out four different Minnesota contracts.