Thielen, Ham Retire Together After Remarkable Undrafted Journeys

The Vikings celebrated Minnesota natives Adam Thielen and C.J. Ham on Thursday as they retire as members of the organization.

Adam Thielen and CJ Ham speak at their retirement press conference on March 19, 2026. | Image courtesy of the Minnesota Viking

Adam Thielen and C.J. Ham shared similar paths to long NFL careers, and now they've ended their careers together as Minnesota Vikings.

Thielen and Ham shared a stage at TCO Performance Center on Thursday as the Vikings honored the duo, who are retiring as celebrated members of the organization. Thielen spent 11 years of his 13-year NFL career as a member of the Vikings. Ham spent all nine seasons in Minnesota.

Both Minnesota natives went undrafted and earned contracts after rookie minicamp tryouts.

In a league where going undrafted often means a very, very short career, Thielen and Ham both having lengthy careers is extremely rare. Both being Minnesotans who wound up with the hometown Vikings made their journey even more remarkable.

"I think just being willing to do what was necessary," Ham said. "Not letting the thought of what your purpose is dictate the way that you move. I think purpose is truly just being obedient to where you are and what you have in front of you. I think for both of us, as we had to become special teamers before we even got a shot, we both knew, yes, we want to be seen as 'such and such' someday, but my purpose right now is what the coaches are asking of me. How can I help this team? Whether it be special teams, blocking, whatever that may be. Kind of just taking a seat to your pride and just living in the purpose that you're in right now, that's in front of you, that's tangible, that you can go attack. And kind of just honing in on that."

Thielen echoed Ham.

"I would add mindset," said Thielen. "What is your mindset? I call it a dog mentality. Like, you cannot be denied. That was where I felt like I had an advantage over other guys. I wasn't going to be denied.

"Sometimes it came across the wrong way or whatever, but it was this mentality that every single day I'm going to prepare so that when it's gameday, I don't have to think, I can just go. And I can have this different mentality, this switch that I can turn on, and be a different person. ... That mindset can't just be on Sundays. It's Wednesday practice, when everybody else is maybe going through the motions, I treated those like gameday. I was just as mad at a bad play, a drop, or missed assignment on Wednesday as I was on gameday. That was where I felt like I could separate myself from others."

Thielen ends his career with the fourth-most receptions (542), fifth-most receiving yards (6,751), and third-most receiving touchdowns (55) in Vikings history. For a guy who grew up in Detroit Lakes, cheering on the likes of Cris Carter, Randy Moss, and Jake Reed, it's a massive accomplishment that his name will now be uttered in the same sentence as Vikings legends.

"This place means so much to me," Thielen said when asked why he retired as a Viking. "The Wilfs, this organization is first class. There's nothing really like it. Very thankful to be a part of it for a long time. Also, the fact that I grew up a Vikings fan. Dreamed of playing for this team. Always wanted to be like Cris Carter, Randy Moss, Jake Reed, and those guys. To be able to retire with my hometown team is such a blessing."

Ham played in 141 games during his nine-year NFL career. While his personal numbers don't pop off the page, he was a vital cog in some of the best rushing attacks in the league over the past decade. The Duluth native ends his career with two Pro Bowl nods and goes down as a Vikings fan favorite.

"I just had a piece of my spirit, to wake up and be like 'It's time.' And I'm OK with it," Ham said when asked about his decision to retire. "Even this year, dealing with injuries for the first time in my life. I truly believe it was also God showing me that I'm going to be OK without football. Not being able to play for six weeks, I thought it was going to wreck me. It was hard at first, but as I leaned in, leaned on my family, I realized there are things out there and I'm going to be OK. Now it's time to spend time with my family. I love the game. I feel like I can still play, but my spirit, it's good. "

Thielen admitted that the decision to retire was a difficult one, but that going back to last year, he had felt "wore out mentally." So, while he says it was "really tough," he's looking forward to getting to be a full-time, stay-at-home dad.