Preseason football is supposed to be the low-stakes part of the calendar, and then a night like this happens. Jets rookie running back Chip Trayanum was carted off the field in the Jets' final preseason game against the Giants after a hit that stopped the whole building.
Jets rookie RB Chip Trayanum carted off after a scary hit to end half. t.co/xIyk1TJWps
The injury came on the last play of the first half. Trayanum took a handoff, barely got a step, and was met almost instantly by a defender. He was fitted with a neck brace, strapped to a backboard, and driven off on a cart while players from both sidelines took a knee.
Jets say RB Chip Trayanum is on the way to the hospital due to a neck injury. He is awake, alert and has movement of his extremities.
The update everyone was waiting on came fast, and it was the best version of a scary situation. The Jets confirmed Trayanum was headed to the hospital for evaluation but was awake, alert and had movement in all of his extremities — the kind of language that matters enormously in a neck injury and typically points away from the worst-case outcomes.
Jets report Trayanum is headed to the hospital, but is awake, alert and has movement in his extremities.
This isn't a name every casual fan knows yet, but it should be. Trayanum was one of the Jets' undrafted free agent signings out of Toledo, where he ran for over 1,000 yards last season and earned first-team All-MAC honors after a winding college path that also included stops at Arizona State, Ohio State and Kentucky. He'd been having a real preseason too, putting together a strong first half before the hit — the kind of showing that builds a roster case for a UDFA fighting for a spot.
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said postgame he expects Trayanum to be fine, which lines up with the optimistic early details. Still, any neck injury gets treated with caution until the hospital workup is finished, and the Jets will have more to say on his status and his roster outlook as final cuts approach. For now, the only news that matters is the good kind: he's talking, he's moving, and everyone is waiting on the next update.