For the first time since Week 1, Minnesota Vikings running back Ty Chandler is back on the team's active roster, as he was removed from injured reserve on Tuesday.
Chandler has been out of action since injuring his knee in the Vikings' regular-season opener against the Chicago Bears, and now he'll provide Minnesota with some much-needed help in its offensive backfield.
In their win over the New York Giants this past Sunday, the Vikings saw both running backs Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, sustain ankle injuries. Jones was able to remain in the contest, but Mason's injury was severe enough to prevent him from playing in the rest of the game.
Minnesota Vikings RB Ty Chandler has two games to prove he still belongs in the NFL
As it was mentioned earlier, Chandler hasn't appeared in a game this season since Week 1, which is unfortunate for him since he is currently scheduled to become a free agent after the 2025 campaign.
If he wants to return to Minnesota or sign with another team in free agency, then he needs to make sure he takes advantage of whatever opportunities come his way in the next two weeks.
Chandler can't drop any passes, mishandle any handoffs, whiff on any pass blocks, or do anything else that could hurt his chances to land another NFL contract in the upcoming offseason.
Back in Week 1, he actually made one of the key plays that led to the Vikings getting the win over the Bears.
With Minnesota up by three points with 2:02 remaining in the fourth quarter, Chandler received a kickoff, and instead of kneeling it down for a touchback to avoid a potential fumble, he returned the kickoff to make sure the Vikings' offense began their possession after the two-minute warning.
This allowed Minnesota to successfully drain the game clock all the way down to 16 seconds before having to punt the ball back to the Bears, who then didn't have enough time to tie or win the matchup with another score.
Chandler was selected by the Vikings in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. In 39 appearances during his tenure with Minnesota (including the playoffs), he's rushed for a total of 663 yards and three touchdowns, caught 27 passes for 201 yards, and averaged 25.7 yards on 15 kickoff returns.