Countdown to Kickoff: Ty Chandler is the Saints Player of Day 32

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Countdown to Kickoff: Ty Chandler is the Saints Player of Day 32

Countdown to Kickoff: Ty Chandler is the Saints Player of Day 32

Bob Rose , Saints Wire · Saints Wire

Wed, Aug 12, 2026 ·

2 min read

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We are down to 32 days until the New Orleans Saints take the field for their 2026 season opener. New Orleans will be away from home to start the season, opening up at the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Sept. 13. Wearing the No. 32 for the Saints through training camp is Ty Chandler at running back.

New Orleans added Chandler somewhat early in free agency. The running back room in New Orleans looks crowded, but expect Chandler to get some meaningful looks this preseason. As our latest Saints Player of the Day, here's a look at his career to date.

Name (age): Tykevius Chandler (28)
Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.
Position: Running back
Height, weight: 5-foot-11, 205 pounds
College: North Carolina Tar Heels
Relative Athletic Score: 8.81
Drafted: Round 5, 169 overall in 2022 ( Vikings )
NFL experience: 4 years
2026 salary cap hit: $1.08 million

At Montgomery Bell High School, Ty Chandler was Mr. Football for the state of Tennessee in back-to-back years. He initially took his talents to the Tennessee Volunteers to begin his collegiate career. Chandler was with the Volunteers for four seasons and excelled as a triple threat. Over those four years, he had 2,046 rushing yards, 58 catches for 479 yards, was the team's primary kickoff returner, and scored a total of 17 touchdowns.

After the 2020 campaign, Chandler landed with the North Carolina Tar Heels through the transfer portal. He played out his final season at North Carolina, leading the Tar Heels in rushing with 1,092 yards and scoring 13 touchdowns, both third in the ACC. Those numbers earned Chandler 2nd Team All-ACC accolades.

In the 2022 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings took Chandler with a fifth round selection. A hand injury limited him to only three games as a rookie. He'd return to play every game in 2023 as a reserve running back, actually scoring his first career touchdown that season against the Saints. In 2023, Chandler rushed for 461 yards and pulled in 21 receptions for 159 yards. That would be the highest output of his four-year career. He had only 62 offensive touches for 224 yards from scrimmage in 2024 and spent all but three games on injured reserve last season for the Vikings.

New Orleans signed Chandler to a one-year contract this offseason. On the surface, his chances of making the roster seem slim. However, Chandler is an all-purpose threat that could add valuable rushing and receiving depth to the offense. Ty Chandler could also be a dark horse to win a job as a kick returner. He hasn't been used a lot in that capacity in the NFL, but his open field agility and experience doing it in college may be his ticket to the roster.