Jets rookie RB Chip Trayanum transported to hospital after neck injury in preseason opener vs. Giants

The New York Jets are dealing with a serious health concern after rookie running back Chip Trayanum was transported to a hospital with a neck injury during Friday night’s preseason game against the New York Giants.

According to the report, the incident occurred on the final play of the first half. Cade Klubnik had the ball in a running situation and handed it to Trayanum, and Giants linebacker Trace Ford got to him immediately on the play.

Ford “truck”ed Trayanum, and Trayanum remained on the ground while medical personnel attended to him for several minutes. The team then transported him to the hospital for further evaluation.

Preseason games are often used to evaluate depth, but a neck injury is one of the few conditions that can quickly shift a team’s plans. Even when an injury turns out to be less severe than initially feared, teams typically treat the recovery process cautiously, prioritizing medical clearance over tempo and workload.

For the Jets, the timing also matters. Trayanum was positioned as a rookie option at running back, a role that is both physically demanding and difficult to replicate in practice if a player is sidelined. Depth charts during August are already in flux, and an early exit for a young back can force coaches to lean more heavily on veterans or other developing players who were not expected to carry as many early reps.

The play itself, as described, was a classic preseason collision, with a defender arriving right as the ball was delivered in traffic. That is also why preseason injuries can have an outsized impact, since many teams use scripted looks and situational work that involve contact, particularly around the end of halves when players are still trying to make an impression on coaches.

From the Giants side, Friday’s moment gave Trace Ford a statement impact on a single play. But for both teams, the focus after the incident is understandably medical rather than competitive, especially given the report’s emphasis on a neck injury and the need to transport Trayanum for evaluation.

What to watch next is whether the Jets provide an update on Trayanum’s condition and return timeline, and which running backs take on additional first-team reps as the preseason continues. With preseason decisions often shaping the regular-season roster picture, any confirmed change in availability could reverberate through the Jets’ backfield depth and game-to-game usage.