EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets rookie running back Chip Trayanum was taken to a hospital with a neck injury after being tackled on the final play of the first half of a 23-6 preseason loss to the Giants on Friday night.
The Jets announced Trayanum, an undrafted rookie from Toledo, was awake, alert and had movement in all of his extremities after he was carted off the field in a scary scene at MetLife Stadium.
“I think he’ll be just fine,”
coach Aaron Glenn said after the game. “He’ll be just fine.”
The Jets got the ball with 10 seconds left before halftime and rather than have Cade Klubnik take a knee, they opted to run a play. Trayanum took the handoff from Klubnik and barely took a step when he was immediately hit by Trace Ford.
It seemed at first to be just a rough but routine play as Trayanum went on his back and let the ball roll out of his hands, and then appeared to reach for a teammate. But then the rookie remained on his back and didn't appear to move much as trainers and doctors rushed out to attend to him.
Jets players and coaches remained on the field — many on their knees and praying — as Trayanum was being checked out.
After several minutes, it appeared Trayanum was put in a neck brace, strapped to a backboard and loaded onto a cart and driven off the field. The running back appeared to be flexing both of his hands as he was driven inside.
Trayanum scored the Jets' lone touchdown of the opening half, a 1-yard run that capped an opening drive on which he carried the ball nine times in 10 plays. He had 38 yards on 12 carries for the game.
The 24-year-old running back has been competing for a spot either on the Jets' practice squad or another team's roster. Trayanum was behind starter Breece Hall, Braelon Allen, Isaiah Davis and Kene Nwangwu — all of whom are expected to make the roster — on the Jets' depth chart.
Hall (groin) and Davis (knee) are injured, but expected to be ready for the Jets' season opener at Tennessee on Sept. 13. Allen and Nwangwu also didn't play against the Giants as Glenn rested many of his starters and other key players in the preseason finale. That left Trayanum and fellow undrafted rookie Dominic Richardson as the only available running backs Friday night.
Trayanum, a native of Akron, Ohio, has had a well-traveled journey to the NFL. He spent two seasons at Arizona State, then transferred to Ohio State and played two years for the Buckeyes. Trayanum then transferred to Kentucky for the 2024 season before playing last year at Toledo. He had a career-best 1,015 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns in 11 games for the Rockets, but went undrafted in April.
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