Vikings Get Concerning News on Pro Bowler C.J. Ham

She wrote that it was a “simple procedure, although it's not confirmed if it's related to the ankle injury that was listed on the Vikings' final injury report. 

Ham turns 32 this summer and is entering the twilight of his career, leading to some questions about his future.

Minnesota Star Tribune beat reporter Emily Leiker noted that Ham took extra time on the field after the Vikings' season-ending loss to the Los Angeles Rams and did not face questions about his future at locker room cleanout day.

"There had been a post on how he spent some extra time on the field postgame -- kind of taking things in. He was one of those guys that did not show up at locker room cleanouts," Leiker said on the "Access Vikings" podcast on Jan. 29

"None of those veterans who might be near the end of their careers did. He's up there. Is this maybe when he calls it?"

Ham is entering the final year of his contract in Minnesota and is due $3.41 million. The Vikings could create $2.65 million in cap space by cutting him.

Ham has earned two Pro Bowl appearances in his nine-year career, the most recent coming in 2023.

However, he was more instrumental in the Vikings' offense with Mike Zimmer. Since the arrival of Kevin O'Connell in 2022, Ham has seen the few far less frequently. 

Under Mike Zimmer, Ham averaged 378 offensive snaps from 2019 to 2021. Since O'Connell's arrival, Ham has played an average of 215 snaps a season.

Ham is highly regarded in the Vikings organization and sat next to O'Connell at the NFL Honors awards.

But as the Vikings hope to rebuild their roster with 25 pending free agents, the cap savings from moving on from Ham could be beneficial to boosting other areas of the team.