EAGAN, Minn. — Longtime Minnesota Vikings fullback C.J. Ham formally announced his NFL retirement through his agency, Team IFA, on Tuesday.
The 32-year-old Duluth native recently completed his 10th season in the NFL in 2025.
Ham, who played running back at Division II Augustana from 2012 to 2015, broke into the NFL as a rookie minicamp invite by the Vikings in the spring of 2016, eventually earning a spot on the practice squad.
After transitioning to fullback, Ham made the active roster the following year in 2017, and has gone on to earn Pro Bowl nods in 2019 and 2023.
C.J. Ham of Duluth played college football at Augustana.
DNT file photo
The former Duluth Denfeld star finished his NFL career with 681 receiving yards, 119 rushing yards, and eight total touchdowns — including a goal-line plunge in the Vikings’ season finale against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium on Jan. 4, a game in which he and the team gave several indications it would be his last.
Off the field, Ham has continued to give back to his hometown through annual football camps held at his alma mater, along with the Ham Family Scholarship Fund, raising money for students of color in Duluth seeking higher education.
For his efforts, Ham has been the Vikings’ Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee each of the past two seasons.
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