Vikings Fan Favorite Ruled Out for 4 Games
Injuries have played a significant role in this year’s summer. The Minnesota Vikings have lost Rondale Moore for the season, but at least Justin Jefferson has finally returned from his hamstring injury. Recently, Harrison Smith’s status has raised some questions. Unlike another long-tenured Viking, he has not been stashed on injured reserve.
Vikings Fan Favorite Ruled Out for 4 Games
Unfortunately, C.J. Ham has. The fullback was not part of the initial 53-man roster and was placed on short-term IR, making him ineligible to participate in the first four weeks of the season.
Lindsey Young of Vikings.com wrote this week: “The Vikings on Tuesday placed fullback C.J. Ham and outside linebacker Tyler Batty on Injured Reserve-Designated to Return. The moves occurred during roster reductions and mean both players must miss at least the first four games of the season. Teams can designate up to eight players for returning from Injured Reserve during a regular season (plus two more players if a team makes the playoffs).”
Tyler Batty is an undrafted rookie out of BYU. The pass-rusher suffered a knee injury in the final preseason game that is not expected to be a long-term injury, but the first four games of his rookie season are kaput.
Ham is the second-longest tenured Minnesota Viking, following only safety Smith. He joined the club in 2016 when he was still considered a running back. After a year on the practice squad, Ham made his NFL debut in 2017 as a fullback.
He’s been incredibly durable, playing in 130 games throughout his career. The last time he missed a game was during the 2020 campaign. The fullback turned 32 last month, and he’s in the final year of his contract. It’s not too far-fetched to believe that 2025 could be his final season with the club or in his career.
Ham has caught 82 passes for 670 yards and two touchdowns while adding 114 yards and four scores on 39 rushes.
The current regime has barely used him as a rusher, and his receiving chances have dipped, too. Under Mike Zimmer’s watch, the fullback was used way more prominently. Between 2019 and 2021, Ham averaged 378 snaps and over 20 touches per season. In the last three years, those numbers dropped to an average of under 10 touches and 215 snaps per season.
His usage on special teams can’t be denied, though. Ham has played 2,117 snaps on special teams in his career, exactly seven fewer than on offense. His scorecard also displays 45 tackles. Another element of his greatness is the leadership role. He was a team captain in each of the last four seasons. This year, he didn’t make the cut, perhaps because of the injury.
The Vikings don’t have another fullback on the squad. Potentially, one of the tight ends Ben Yurosek and Josh Oliver could get some reps there. Another option is to just put the plays that include a fullback on ice for four weeks.
The veteran will be eligible to return in time for Week 5’s game in London versus the Cleveland Browns. With Myles Garrett waiting across the line of scrimmage, the Vikings might want the fullback in the mix.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.