Is a Vikings Legend Skating on Thin Ice?
At this stage, C.J. Ham has ventured into Vikings legend territory.
Minnesota fans cherish a great underdog story — John Randle and Adam Thielen come to mind, but there have been others. A lot of sports fans love cheering for someone who is facing long odds, but the trend may be particularly pronounced in Minnesota.
Mr. Ham first entered the NFL in 2016 as an undrafted free agent, facing an uphill battle to make it in the pros.
Not only has he made it, but he has done so with a single team for roughly a decade. Does Mr. Ham have much longer in the Twin Cities? Would Minnesota consider moving on in 2025? If so, why?
C.J. Ham, A Vikings Legend, as a Cut Possibility
Ham is moving into the final season of his contract. The basic detail is notable.
Left untouched, the versatile veteran and team captain is going to carry a $3,516,668 cap charge. Essentially, a middle-class number for NFL finances. What’s notable is simply that cutting the fullback would mean recouping $2,750,000. Not a tremendous amount, no, but still a noteworthy number.
As we consider Minnesota’s finances, we’re talking about a Vikings team that’s a bit like the Titanic. An iceberg has been seen in the distance, one that threatens to sink the ship; there needs to be an ability to pivot. Put differently, the Vikings are moving into a 2026 budget that’s already showing significant debt: negative $53.7 million.
In a lot of ways, that number is a bit abstract. Yes, more than $50 million in debt sounds bad, but what does it actually mean? Consider one path for getting the budget close to even.
Shift forward by a year into the 2026 offseason. Cutting right tackle Brian O’Neill, edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, center Ryan Kelly, and defensive tackle Harrison Phillips wouldn’t wipe out the full debt. The team could cut all of those excellent veterans – something that will not happen – and still not erase all of the debt that’s currently showing up in the OTC estimate, recouping roughly $51.5 million in space.
Keep in mind, folks, that we’re only talking about getting back to even, something that wasn’t accomplished with moving on from those veterans. Even more work would be needed to not just get back to par but then to jump into the fun in March, signing free-agent talent in the process.
Consider all that has been said and then bring things around to C.J. Ham.
One neat caveat about NFL finances is that cap space that doesn’t get used in a current season gets carried over into the next season (unlike, for instance, the NHL; if cap space goes unused in a hockey season, it just dissolves and drifts away after having done no work). As an example, the Vikings could end their year with $20 million in unused cap space. Doing so would mean bringing that forward into 2026, directly putting it onto the debt load.
Cutting C.J. Ham – a very painful decision if it were to become a reality – could be about that carryover money, folks. The 2025 budget would see a boost of $2.75 million, open room that could help to finance the future.
Putting Mr. Ham’s cap savings onto the current pile of open room would push Minnesota into the low-20s. Not enough to totally overcome what’s appearing next offseason, but enough to take a significant bite out of things.
The downside, of course, would rest in losing an excellent player, one who is arguably the best respected person on the team. He’s a tremendous worker, someone who helps on offense and special teams. His intangibles are off the charts.
Oh, and another thing: he could help the kid QB — J.J. McCarthy — as one of the Vikings’ sturdier pass protectors in the backfield. At 5’11”, 250, Ham is a rugged player who packs a wallop. His job on offense has increasingly involved stifling pass rushers while occasionally catching a pass or two (he has silky mitts, to put things in hockey terms).
Since Kevin O’Connell took over, C.J. Ham has played a relatively modest role on offense, playing just 15% of the time (2022), 19% of the time (2023), and 24% of the time (2024). Combined with the cap situation, the Vikings may consider a roster cut if they don’t think the impact on offense is worth it.
C.J. Ham will turn 32 in July.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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