With Dalvin Cook gone from the Vikings, it’s assumed that Alexander Mattison will assume Cook’s role. But Mattison could have plenty of help.
Running back Ty Chandler could have a much bigger role this year. He got off to a solid start in the preseason opener, against the Seahawks.
“I thought Ty Chandler jumped out,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters after the game. “Just any time he had the ball in his hands, very rarely tackled by the first defender that was in space. Catching the ball. And then picked up really where he left off as far as his ability when the lights come on to sometimes turn into a different guy. Now I want to see it every single day and really see him be consistent, because he’s proven when it goes live and it’s real football, he’s a tough guy to bring to the ground.”
Chandler had 41 yards on 11 carries, plus another 29 receiving yards on four catches.
A thumb injury wiped out most of the rookie season for Chandler, a fifth-round pick who played at Tennessee and North Carolina. He brings sub-4.4. speed to the table, and he gives the Vikings a potentially potent weapon in both the running game and passing game.
