C.J. Ham Makes Holidays & Vikings Better

C.J. is a man of many talents, though, and Vikings fans have seen that on full display.

Throughout the 2021 campaign, he’s been utilized in multiple ways. In addition to fullback, Vikings Offensive Coordinator Klint Kubiak has lined him up at fullback, running back and tight end. He’s rushed, blocked and caught passes out of the backfield.

Take, for instance, the Vikings Week 9 contest at Baltimore. With just over two minutes remaining in the game and Minnesota trailing by a touchdown, Kirk Cousins threw downfield to C.J., who made a leaping catch along the sideline that gained 27 yards on third-and-3.

The Vikings ultimately came up short against the Ravens, but C.J.’s grab nonetheless garnered plenty of attention from fans and teammates alike.

“I was like, ‘You might as well come to the receivers now!’ You make a big catch on somebody’s head, you gotta come to the receivers,” Justin Jefferson said of the play.

Coaches and teammates are confident C.J. knows the full offense and could chip in practically anywhere.

“He comes to work every day on time, knows what he needs to do, his assignments,” Cook said. “If you want to know something at running back, you can ask him. He knows both positions.”

Cousins pointed out that C.J. has added depth as a fill-in tight end in the absence of Irv Smith, Jr., who landed on Injured Reserve early in the season.

“He’s tremendous. When Irv went down, we said, ‘Now you’re going to play Y,’ ” Cousins said. “He can do it all. If we lined him up at X or Z (receiver), I bet he could run a route and win. As a quarterback, it’s such a comfort to have a player like that.

“There are times when I’m asking him what responsibilities, ‘Did I call that play right?’ Or, ‘What’s the motion here?’ And he’ll get me right,” Cousins continued. “That just says the world about C.J. and what he’s capable of athletically and also mentally. He’s a great teammate.”