Injured Vikings Speedster May Be on His Way Back
A handful of injured Minnesota Vikings players banked some light work in Eagan on Wednesday, and among the group, Ty Chandler made an appearance, the Vikings’ RB3 from the last few seasons.
One forgotten Vikings playmaker has been sighted for the first time this season and could return to game action in the next few weeks.
Chandler hasn’t played since Week 1, but that could change rather soon if his recovery trends positively.
A Ty Chandler Sighting at Vikings Practice
Remember him from 2023 lore?
Chandler Works Off the Side at Practice
Vikings fans had wondered where Chandler was in his knee injury recovery, as communication about his status remained relatively scarce.
But thanks to Star Tribune‘s Emily Leiker, there’s an update: “C Ryan Kelly, TE Josh Oliver and RB Ty Chandler were all working out on the rehab field today. Kelly did so with his helmet on, likely a new one.”
The last anyone heard about Chandler was two months ago when the tailback hit injured reserve. Now, his return may be imminent.
A Midseason Return
Lo and behold, with the Star Tribune tidbit, Chandler could return to Minnesota’s offense sometime in the next few weeks. It’s also worth noting that many fans had Chandler pegged as a potential end-of-summer roster cut because the Vikings had acquired Jordan Mason and promoted Zavier Scott.
Yet, with Chandler still in the mix and nearing a return, he’ll probably get the nod on the 53-man roster. Why? Well, it would be really strange for Chandler to rehab with the Vikings and then, upon nearing 100%, the team to release him. He would’ve been dropped with an injury designation if Minnesota didn’t want him around this season.
An RB3 Job Waiting for Him?
But here’s the tricky part. The aforementioned Scott seized the day during the preseason, and to date in the regular season, has served as the RB3 behind Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason — even RB2 when Jones missed four games with an injured hamstring.
It is unclear if Scott will receive an immediate demotion or how the coaching staff will handle Chandler, in general. It’s not too terribly significant in the grand scheme of Vikings football, but it is a bit fascinating.
The Vikings’ Lengthy Current RB Setup
Speaking of running backs and fullbacks, here’s Minnesota’s full RB setup with Chandler nearing a comeback:
- Aaron Jones
- Jordan Mason
- Zavier Scott
- Ty Chandler
- C.J. Ham (Fullback)
- Cam Akers (Practice Squad)
- Corey Kiner (Practice Squad)
All things considered, that is a lot of RB-FB juice for a Vikings team. In past seasons, they’ve kept four in the roster orbit.
PurplePTSD on Chandler
A few weeks ago, our own Kyle Joudry warned of a Chandler demotion — because the RB cabinet is so stocked.
He explained, “One could make the case that moving on from Akers would be a mistake. The depth runner can carry the ball, catch, help on specials, and even function as the emergency QB3. Valuable depth.”
“And then Zavier Scott isn’t making it easy to demote him since he’s someone with size and pass-catching ability, coveted traits in a modern NFL that loves moving the pigskin through the air (though Scott’s Week 5 fumble stung).”
Chandler is 27 years old, and his contract is nearing expiration — at the end of 2025.
“Add all of those realities together and Ty Chandler may get squeezed out. After all, his main role was being the second kickoff returner, but Tai Felton has been solid enough in that job,” Joudry added.
“A top running back pair consisting of Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason is strong. Leaning on C.J. Ham, Cam Akers, and Zavier Scott makes the backfield very deep. Does Ty Chandler still have a job to return to once healthy?”
Minnesota’s rushing offense finally got cooking last weekend against the Detroit Lions, chipping off 142 yards on the ground as a team. Before that win, no single Viking had rushed for over 60 yards since Week 3, a win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Back in 2023, Chandler made a name for himself late in the season, gashing those same Bengals in a road game for 132 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Chandler’s injury status should take shape in the coming weeks.
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