Oct 2, 2022; London, United Kingdom; A general overall view as Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) hands off the ball to fullback C.J. Ham (30) on the NFL shield logo in the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings during an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.
Since the final game of the regular season, much has been made about the turnover expected to take place on the Minnesota Vikings roster. Veterans will find themselves cap casualties, and hometown hero Adam Thielen could be among them. He’s not the only Minnesotan facing that fate, though. Enter C.J. Ham.
Although plenty of the focus has been on more prominent names like Adam Thielen, Eric Kendricks, and Harrison Smith, it’s entirely possible that we have seen the last of C.J. Ham with the Vikings. Born in Duluth and having played college football at Augustana in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Ham is as much “one of us” as it gets.
The fullback went undrafted out of the Division II school, but playing for the Vikings in college was a natural transition to his professional team. Having served as a captain for Minnesota, Ham has played in 96 games throughout his professional career. Routinely opening holes for Dalvin Cook or thwarting sacks for Kirk Cousins, Ham is everything the traditional fullback would be believed to encompass.
Therein lies part of the problem. Kevin O’Connell’s passing offense doesn’t have much use for a lead running back, and it has even less need for a fullback. Ham caught ten passes last year and punched in a pair of touchdowns to double his career total thus far. Still, the $3 million cap hit seems anything but worthwhile knowing how much the Vikings need to add.
It’s possible and maybe even likely that Minnesota removes their top three contributors from the running back room. Cook and Alexander Mattison may both be gone while Ham then joins them. That turnover level isn’t ideal for any roster, but O’Connell may have an opportunity to start fresh at the position, and 2022 draft pick Ty Chandler could certainly carve out a role.
As the NFL has gone away from the running game, fullbacks have less utility than ever. It would be interesting to see where Ham may wind up, but at just 30 years old in 2023, there is little reason to believe he wants to hang up on his career. Playing somewhere else would be the first time he’d venture from his home area as a football player, and that would no doubt feel odd for everyone involved.
It has been fun seeing Minnesotan professionals over the past handful of years shine for the Vikings, but them all bowing out simultaneously would be somewhat moving as well. It will undoubtedly be an offseason of change for the Vikings.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.