Ty Chandler Signs with Hated Vikings Foe

The Ty Chandler era has ended for the Minnesota Vikings, as the speedy tailback has opted to join the New Orleans Saints during the second wave of free agency. The longtime RB3-RB4 will embark on his career’s second chapter with Kellen Moore’s team.

Minnesota’s 2022 draft class just lost another name.

Chandler stood off the page for a couple of games in Minnesota during the 2023 campaign, but otherwise failed to make a serious thumbprint on the franchise.

New Orleans Adds Speed while the Vikings Close the Book

The Saints’ RB room gets even more crowded.

Saints Sign Chandler

It’s almost a done deal for Chandler’s next move. NBC Sports‘ Myles Simmons wrote Tuesday, “The Saints are adding a running back. According to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football, the team has signed Ty Chandler.”

“Chandler, 27, just completed his rookie contract with the Vikings. A fifth-round pick in the 2022 draft, Chandler missed most of the 2025 season due to a knee injury. He appeared in just three games, taking 17 carries for 4 yards and catching three passes for 11 yards.”

So far in free agency, the Vikings have also lost Jalen Nailor (WR, Raiders), Ben Sims (TE, Dolphins), and Ryan Wright (P, Saints) to new destinations.

The Updated NO Running Back Group

The Saints made a significant free-agent splash week when they signed Travis Etienne from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, Etienne will take over bellcow RB1 duties in New Orleans.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Have a look at this ginormous list of running backs on the Saints’ roster:

• Travis Etienne
• Alvin Kamara
• Kendre Miller
• Devin Neal
• Audric Estimé
• Ty Chandler
• Evan Hull

Many expect Kamara to leave sometime this offseason or in the summer. Either way, Chandler will battle at training camp and in the preseason for a September roster spot. He may not make the cut.

SI.com‘s Patrick McAvoy mentioned Kamara’s future after the Chandler signing: “Let’s get out in front of this, Chandler is not a better player than Kamara. Arguably, the signing has more of an impact for New Orleans’ depth than the top of the room.”

“But with Kamara only under contract for one more season and his future already up in the air, you have to at least think about him. This arguably isn’t a sign that New Orleans is about to move on. But what if Kamara is going to hang up his cleats? Again, this is speculation based on the noise out there. At least worth watching.”

Chandler’s Career to Date

Minnesota scooped Chandler from Round 5 of the 2022 NFL Draft, a North Carolina product who was a 24-year-old rookie. He wound up playing 40 games in Minnesota, starting 4, and tallying 710 rushing yards on 181 attempts for a mediocre 3.9 yards per carry. He also caught 3 passes for 11 yards and banked 3 total touchdowns.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell auditioned Chandler for the RB1 job late in the 2023 season when Alexander Mattison got hurt, and Chandler popped off in a game at the Cincinnati Bengals. He produced 132 rushing yards that day on 23 attempts. For a single day, he looked like a prospective RB1 for the future.

But that was about it.

Chandler didn’t do much thereafter, and in fact, whenever he approached an RB2 job in Minnesota, the Vikings seemed to find a way to acquire Cam Akers.

The 27-year-old is most known for his 4.38 speed, though Vikings fans never really saw that in a breakaway setting. Chandler has also missed 41% of all career games due to injury.

The Death of the Vikings’ 2022 Draft Class Is Official

The Vikings drafted these 10 men in April 2022:

• Lewis Cine (S)
• Andrew Booth (CB)
• Ed Ingram (OG)
• Brian Asamoah (LB)
• Akayleb Evans (CB)
• Esezi Otomewo (DT)
• Ty Chandler (RB)
• Jalen Nailor (WR)
• Vederian Lowe (OT)
• Nick Muse (TE)

For the first time in four years, none are employed by the Vikings, marking the official end of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s first draft class, a man who was fired about six weeks ago for poor draft performance.

Nailor signed a fat contract in Las Vegas last week, making Chandler the last man standing. Now, that is no more.

In addition to Nailor, Ingram, Evans, Otomewo, and Lowe signed second contracts this week. Adofo-Mensah’s draft class was undoubtedly awful for the Vikings, but it didn’t totally flame out of the NFL.

Without Chandler on the depth chart as an RB3 or RB4, the Vikings are tentatively expected to draft a rookie halfback and have already met with men like Emmett Johnson from Nebraska and Demond Claiborne of Wake Forest.