With 32 days left until the New Orleans Saints open the 2026 season at the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Sept. 13, the focus lands on No. 32 in camp: running back Ty Chandler.
New Orleans brought Chandler in relatively early in free agency, and even with the running back room looking crowded, he should get a real chance to show what he can do this preseason. He arrives as one of the Saints’ Player of the Day selections with a résumé built on versatility and production at every stop.
Tykevius Chandler is 28 years old, a Nashville, Tenn. native who checks in at 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds. He played at North Carolina, carries a Relative Athletic Score of 8.81, and was selected by the Vikings in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft with the 169th overall pick. He now has four years of NFL experience and is set to count $1.08 million against the cap in 2026.
Chandler’s football resume started with back-to-back Mr. Football honors in Tennessee at Montgomery Bell High School.
He first went to Tennessee, where he spent four seasons showing off the kind of all-around game that makes coaches lean in. Over that span, he ran for 2,046 yards, caught 58 passes for 479 yards, handled kickoff returns, and scored 17 total touchdowns.
After the 2020 season, he moved to North Carolina through the transfer portal and made the most of his lone year with the Tar Heels. Chandler led the team with 1,092 rushing yards and scored 13 touchdowns, both good for third in the ACC. That performance earned him 2nd Team All-ACC recognition.
His NFL path has been a little bumpier. A hand injury kept Chandler to just three games as a rookie in Minnesota.
He appeared in every game in 2023 as a reserve back and scored his first career touchdown that year against the Saints. That season also marked the best production of his pro career, with 461 rushing yards and 21 catches for 159 yards.
In 2024, he was limited to 62 offensive touches for 224 yards from scrimmage, and last season he spent all but three games on injured reserve.
The Saints signed Chandler to a one-year deal this offseason, and on paper he faces an uphill climb to make the roster. Still, his value is obvious enough: he can help as a runner, a receiver, and possibly as a kick returner. That last role may be his clearest path to sticking, since he has not been used much there in the NFL but does bring open-field agility and college return experience to the table.
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