Injury Could Allow Vikings Speed Back to Keep His Roster Spot

The Minnesota Vikings wrapped up their preseason schedule on Friday night against the Tennessee Titans. From that tilt the team decided Max Brosmer was going to make the roster and that they needed to secure a QB2.

There are more roster decisions to be made and the 53-man deadline is August 26 at 3pm CDT. So far Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have made 11 cuts. They still have 26 more to go.

Things have looked bleak for running back Ty Chandler virtually all preseason, but an injury may help pave the way to a roster spot.

Ty Chandler may stick with Minnesota Vikings after all

Aaron Jones returned to lead the backfield. Minnesota traded for Jordan Mason to provide a solid tandem. Ty Chandler checks in third on the depth chart, but he’s failed to cement his role for some time now. Outside of acting as a return man, there just wasn’t much reason to believe he’d be around.

This preseason Zavier Scott has looked like the best backup runner on the Minnesota Vikings roster. It appears O’Connell has tipped his hand in that direction as well. Unfortunately he didn’t make it through the Tennessee game unscathed and the Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling wonders if that doesn’t open a door for Chandler.

Scott carried 22 times in the preseason and gained 96 yards, while Ty Chandler carried only eight times for 17 yards. Chandler didn’t play Friday night and Scott left with an ankle injury, so the Vikings could put Scott on injured reserve to start the year and keep Chandler if they don’t believe Scott is healthy enough for Week 1.

Star Tribune

On one hand it’s painfully obvious that Goessling believes Chandler is not long for this roster. On the other, this would be a way for Minnesota to keep both backs around for the short term.

Scott showed serious burst and operated well in open space for the Vikings this preseason. He was undrafted and worked last season on Minnesota’s practice squad. In January he earned a futures contract, and now he is knocking on the door of his first NFL regular season action.

Really dope deception used by Zavier Scott… for a guy coming out of Maine and his first action, really seems like he has a lot of poise & intelligence about his game. Great manipulation on that screen selling the block and then the twist. A lot of movement nuances to his game pic.twitter.com/NlKbR9C1nS

— 𝓡𝑜𝓈𝓈 𝒞𝑜𝑜𝓅𝑒𝓇 (@CoachRC23) August 9, 2025

The ankle injury carrying any level of severity would be disappointing for Scott. He wasn’t likely to see a ton of opportunities behind Jones and Mason, but special teams would have provided an opportunity for immediate playing time.

Related: MN Vikings Set Quarterback Room, Release Veteran Favorite

If this does result in Chandler making the roster, his time to prove worthy of sticking should be brief.

Ty Chandler not long for MN Vikings roster

Minnesota used a fifth round pick on Chandler during the 2022 NFL Draft. It seemed as though the North Carolina product could provide some upside from the backfield.

Despite playing in 37 professional games, he has just four starts and only 663 yards on 164 carries. Chandler has three touchdowns, but the vast majority of his production came two seasons ago.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Make First Wave of Roster Cuts

Last year with Jones leading the backfield, Chandler turned 56 touches into just 182 yards (3.3 yards per carry), and he was leapfrogged by veteran Cam Akers. Minnesota could bring Akers back for the third straight season if they want to finish this storyline in arguably the most comical way possible.