It is always nice when a major contributor to an NFL team has the opportunity to spend a large majority of their career with one franchise. Lately, there have been quite a few examples of this within the Minnesota Vikings organzation.
At the conclusion of the 2025 NFL season, Vikings fans knew there would be at least two longtime players who would likely hang up their cleats, even if one of them wasn't wearing a purple and gold jersey in their final game as a pro.
The Minnesota Vikings will hold a joint retirement press conference for wide receiver Adam Thielen and fullback C.J. Ham.
Fullback C.J. Ham and wide receiver Adam Thielen called it a career following the 2025 NFL season, and the Minnesota Vikings will celebrate their contributions to the team with a joint press conference at the TCO Performance Center in Eagan on Thursday afternoon.
Ham was an undrafted free agent in 2016 who signed with the Vikings. He spent nine seasons in Minnesota, playing in 141 games and taking 2,308 offensive snaps. The versatile fullback was also named to the Pro Bowl twice.
Adam Thielen was an undrafted free agent of Minnesota in 2013. Although he also spent time with the Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers, there will always be a strong connection between the two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver and the Vikings.
Interestingly, Harrison Smith will make a decision on his future at a later time. While the tough-nosed safety is 37 years old and has played 14 seasons in the NFL, there is still a chance he could choose to return for one more year.
He is set to be a post-June 1 release, but that does not mean that he will not return to the Vikings once again. For that reason, he was not included in the retirement press conference with C.J. Ham and Adam Thielen, but will no doubt be celebrated at a later date but will not be part of Thursday's celebration.
Congratulations to both Adam Thielen and C.J. Ham on having amazing careers with the Minnesota Vikings. Both were important contributors to the purple and gold and deserve all the praise and acknowledgement they will receive during Thursday's joint press conference at the TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minnesota. Hopefully, at least one of them will find their way into the team's Ring of Honor at some point in the near future.