Vikings Predicted to Part Ways With $4 Million Playmaker

One of the best moves the Minnesota Vikings made this offseason was fortifying their running back room with the re-signing of Aaron Jones and adding former San Francisco 49ers backup Jordan Mason.

However, that’s left little on the bone for Ty Chandler, who is coming off a disappointing season that saw him benched late in the season.

A 2022 fifth-round pick, Chandler was expected to have a timeshare with Jones last year after breaking out late in his sophomore season, earning the final four starts in place of Alexander Mattison.

But through just five weeks last season, the Vikings had seen enough, opting to chase Cam Akers in a trade with the Houston Texans. Chandler played five or fewer snaps in all but three games once Akers arrived.

In the final year of his $3.95 million rookie deal, Chandler is facing his last chance in Minnesota, and The Athletic’s Alec Lewis predicted that, if nothing changes, the Vikings could part ways with him.

“Few need an inspiring training camp showing more than Chandler,” Lewis wrote in a July 2 article. “He’s shown flashes, but this is the final season of his rookie contract. If he disappoints, Minnesota could move on.”

Vikings Don’t Trust RB Ty Chandler

Chandler possesses all the physical attributes to be a difference-maker in the Vikings offense.

He ran a 4.38 40-time at the combine and has the tools to be a receiving threat out of the backfield.

However, Chandler has yet to show consistency in finding his gaps in the mid-zone running scheme and, more importantly, to Kevin O’Connell, picking up the correct pass-blocking assignments.

“I don’t think they’re terribly happy with Ty Chandler in some capacities of the game,” Minnesota Star Tribune reporter Ben Goessling said upon Chandler’s benching last season. “I think pass protection has been a question with him, and he just hasn’t seemed to have the explosiveness that we’ve seen from him at times.”

There isn’t a ton of trade value attached to Chandler given his lackluster end to the 2024 season. The Vikings don’t have much competition for the RB3 spot beyond Zavier Scott — but they have shown no hesitance to explore the trade market to find veteran talent before.

Jordan Mason Deemed Vikings’ Most Underrated Move of Offseason

While the future is concerning for Chandler, the Vikings’ running back room looks promising, especially with the addition of Mason.

Last season, Mason stepped up as the 49ers’ starter with the absence of Christian McCaffrey. He played in 12 games and made six starts, racking up 789 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

At 5-foot-11, 223 pounds, Mason is about as dense as you can get at that height and will be an asset in short-yardage situations where the Vikings have struggled beforehand.

Lewis seems to be a big fan of the move to bring him to Minnesota.

“For my money, this is the most underrated Vikings move of the offseason. He benefited from the San Francisco 49ers’ run-game infrastructure, but there is something about his vision that seems different. Plus, he’s massive,” Lewis wrote.