LATEST: Vikings RB Ty Chandler is earning trust and opportunity..

Vikings’ second-year running back has worked his way up to having a chance to take the lead running role..

EAGAN — When Ty Chandler took the field for the 2022 preseason, it didn’t take a scouting genius to see the talent that got him drafted by the Minnesota Vikings. He flashed every bit of 4.38 40-yard dash speed, ran with patience and didn’t go down to the ground easily. In total he ran the ball 15 times and gained 115 yards.

But after his breakout preseason, Chandler suffered an injury and when he returned he was nowhere to be found in the Vikings backfield. When the dust settled on his rookie year, the former North Carolina star gained just 20 yards on six carries in the regular season.

Still there was optimism that he could put himself in the conversation for a rotational role with a strong training camp. The Vikings moved on from Dalvin Cook in the offseason and were set to lean on Alexander Mattison and whoever emerged between Chandler and Kene Nwangwu. Yet when the Vikings broke camp and started slowly in the running game with Mattison as RB1, they turned to acquiring Cam Akers from the Rams rather than leaning into the less experienced Chandler.

It wasn’t until Akers tore his Achilles in Atlanta that they were finally pressed into giving Chandler more snaps. Over the last two weeks, he has proven deserving of more playing time, gaining 45 yards on 13 runs against the Saints (with a long touchdown run negated by penalty) and then had his breakout game in Denver with 73 yards rushing on 10 carries and four receptions for 37 yards. One of the runs was an explosive fake punt and he flashed his blazing speed on a 19-yard catch on third-and-20.