What Ever Happened to Ty Chandler?
The Minnesota Vikings had a sizable hole at the running back position this offseason. Aaron Jones and Cam Akers both hit free agency. That left Ty Chandler as the lone running back of substance on the roster.
What Ever Happened to Ty Chandler?
Fast forward to where we are now, and Minnesota has re-signed Jones while trading for Jordan Mason. Kevin O’Connell has a one-two punch. It also seems logical that the Vikings will look to spread the workload a bit more than they did last season.
Jones remained remarkably healthy, resulting in a career-high yardage total for the former Green Bay Packers running back. He still had to play through bumps and bruises while coming out of games at times. It’s unlikely he will be healthier in the year ahead, and he’s obviously got more mileage on his legs now.
So why then does former offensive darling Ty Chandler seem like such an afterthought?
In 2023, as a second-year player, Chandler carried the rock 102 times for Minnesota. He averaged 4.5 yards per attempt and tallied a total of 461 yards. Chandler also found paydirt three times. He hauled in 21-of-25 passes, providing an outlet for his quarterbacks.
Then last year happened.
With Jones in the fold and Akers back for a second season, Chandler watched his attempts cut in half. He rushed 56 times for 182 yards and averaged just 3.3 yards per attempt. Basically, a once-promising back became an afterthought before his career even got started.
It seemed likely that the Minnesota Vikings would draft a running back from a deep class this season. Ultimately, that didn’t happen, but the guy they grabbed as an undrafted free agent is already drawing rave reviews.
Jacksonville State’s Tre Stewart turned 278 carries into 1,638 yards last season. He had 25 touchdowns, and the numbers look as gaudy as first-round pick Ashton Jeanty’s. It is far from a guarantee that Stewart would bump Chandler from the roster, but Minnesota has other returner options at this point, and that further saps his value.
It’s crazy how far Chandler has fallen, but it’s happening right before our eyes.
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Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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