Memo to the Vikings' brass: Let's get the ol' downhill bruiser running back Ham more touches this season

By HOWIE HANSON

Let’s talk blunt truths about the Minnesota Vikings.

This team — entering 2025 on the fragile hopes pinned to an untested rookie quarterback — is about to find out whether it can pound out victories the old-fashioned way. Because for all the modern spread concepts and glitzy route trees that litter NFL playbooks, November football in the NFC North still boils down to one gritty, uncomfortable question: can you run the ball when everyone knows you’re going to run it?

Right now, the honest answer for the Vikings is: who knows?

A muddled backfield — and a lingering frustration

Minnesota’s running game has sputtered for years. Last season they finished 21st in total rushing yards and were stuck near the bottom third of the league in rushing efficiency, especially in key situations. Their third-and-short conversion percentage on the ground was an ugly 60%, tied for 26th in the NFL. In plain English: when the Vikings needed a single yard to keep a drive alive, they often didn’t get it.

So what’s the plan in 2025? What's the answer to the core problem: who’s the rushing hammer? Who’s going to blast through a stacked box in Chicago in December when wind chills are negative-12?

Why not The Hammer?

Which circles us right back to Duluth’s own C.J. Ham — maybe the most intriguing (and inexplicably shelved) option on this roster. As a rookie, Ham did something almost no undrafted free agent fullback does: he ran for over 100 yards in a preseason game at halfback. Then the Vikings switched him to fullback permanently, stuck him in front of Dalvin Cook for years, and never really revisited the notion that Ham might actually be one of the most natural downhill runners on the roster.

Since then? He’s become arguably the NFL’s best pure blocking fullback — a human battering ram who erases linebackers at the second level, clearing lanes for others. But as a ball carrier? Essentially mothballed. Ham’s entire career rushing stat line is a meager 36 carries for 97 yards. That’s across eight seasons.

Let that sink in. One of the strongest men on the field, with soft enough hands to contribute on swing passes, and proven experience carrying the load in college and his rookie preseason… reduced to a human sled. Meanwhile, big-bodied power backs across the league are still dictating playoff outcomes — see Derrick Henry in Baltimore, or the way James Conner bulldozed defenses for Arizona last season.

This might be Ham’s last window

Reality is, at age 32, Ham knows time isn’t on his side. Fullbacks have limited shelf lives in today’s NFL, and fewer offenses even carry one on the 53-man roster. This could be his final season to prove he’s more than a specialty blocker, that he can actually tilt a game with the ball in his hands.

That alone should push the Vikings to experiment. What’s the risk? A couple of second-and-7s? This is a team that’s projected to hover near .500 anyway, not a juggernaut with a 13-4 margin to protect. If ever there was a year to see whether Ham can be a short-yardage finisher or even a surprise thunder option behind a rookie quarterback, it’s 2025.

A changing offensive identity — or just lip service?

Coaches at TCO Performance Center love to talk up “multiple looks.” They’ll note the offensive line’s improvement, highlight tight end sets, hint at I-formation packages that might feature Ham more prominently. But talk is cheap until we see it on Sundays.

The analytics don’t lie: last season, the Vikings were statistically weakest running between the tackles on third and short, precisely where Ham’s brute style could help. And the average yards before contact in those scenarios was under one yard — meaning running backs were getting hit almost instantly. That’s where a wrecking ball like Ham might actually turn no-gain collisions into plus-two or plus-three, and keep the offense on the field.

The human element — and the fan pull

There’s also the undeniable energy that comes from a local hero finally getting his due. Imagine the buzz at U.S. Bank Stadium if Ham rips off a punishing 15-yard run through a safety, lowers his shoulder, and drags defenders to the turf. This is a blue-collar fan base that appreciates power football — that’s why Adrian Peterson highlights still play on stadium boards a decade later. Remember Bill Brown?

Bottom line: the time is now

This might be it. With a committee backfield in flux, and a coaching staff desperate to take pressure off its rookie quarterback, C.J. Ham’s shot to carry the ball could finally arrive. If the Vikings are smart, they’ll give the freight train from Duluth a legitimate chance to do more than pave the way for someone else.

Because sometimes the most obvious solutions are right under your nose. And sometimes, the best way to protect a young quarterback is to unleash an old-school bruiser and let the defense figure it out.

Howie Hanson is a local sports columnist who’s spent five decades covering Upper Midwest football, from frigid high school games on Friday nights to NFL playoff runs. Reach him at howiehanson@gmail.com.