Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Green Bay Packers safety Kitan Oladapo (27) pursues Minnesota Vikings running back Ty Chandler (32) at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

3 Saints Most Impacted by Surprise Ty Chandler Signing

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Mar 17, 2026 1:55 PM ET

The New Orleans Saints made yet another move in free agency on Tuesday and it was somewhat of a surprise.

Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reported that New Orleans agreed to terms on a deal with veteran running back Ty Chandler.

"The Saints are signing RB Ty Chandler, per source," Underhill wrote. "Chandler played with the Vikings. His best season came in 2023 when he had 620 yards from scrimmage and four TDs. He's a home-run hitter with 4.38 speed."

This is the second running back move for the Saints so far this offseason in free agency. The first came with New Orleans signing former Jacksonville Jaguars star Travis Etienne Jr. to a four-year deal worth up to $52 million. This move doesn't really impact Etienne, but what about the rest of the running back room? Let's dive in.

Here are three Saints players most impacted by the Chandler deal:

Audric Estimé

Estimé is under contract for the 2026 season and has a cap hit just north of $1 million. The 22-year-old played in seven games in 2025 for New Orleans and had 198 rushing yards on 46 rushing attempts. With Chandler coming to town, arguably this means more competition in the back of the running back room, rather than impact at the top with Etienne.

Kendre Miller

Miller had 193 rushing yards in 2025 in seven games also on 47 carries. He hasn't played in eight games in a season in his career so far. He played in eight games in 2023, six games in 2024 and seven games in 2025. He has a $1.79 salary cap hit for the 2026 season.

Alvin Kamara

Let's get out in front of this, Chandler is not a better player than Kamara. Arguably, the signing has more of an impact for New Orleans' depth than the top of the room. But with Kamara only under contract for one more season and his future already up in the air, you have to at least think about him. This arguably isn't a sign that New Orleans is about to move on. But what if Kamara is going to hang up his cleats? Again, this is speculation based on the noise out there. At least worth watching.

This article first appeared on New Orleans Saints on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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