Chiefs Trade for Former Chargers, Steelers DE Melvin Ingram
Just hours after narrowly defeating the New York Giants on Monday Night Football and hours before the NFL's trade deadline, the Kansas City Chiefs made a rare deadline-day move, acquiring defensive end Melvin Ingram from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
First reported by Josina Anderson of CBS Sports, the 32-year-old pass-rusher will join the Chiefs for the remainder of the 2021 season after visiting the Chiefs this offseason before leaving team facilities without a deal.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Chiefs will be sending a sixth-round pick to Pittsburgh for Ingram, as he joins a defensive end group highlighted by Chris Jones, Frank Clark, Mike Danna, Alex Okafor and the injured Joshua Kaindoh.
Last week, Aditi Kikhabwala of NFL Network reported that the Chiefs were interested in Ingram, but that the Steelers were hesitant to trade him within the AFC.
Before his short-lived stint in Pittsburgh, Ingram spent his entire career with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. In nine years with the Chargers, Ingram recorded 49 sacks and 360 tackles in 113 games. However, Ingram didn't record a sack in the 2020 season as he battled injuries over the course of the year.
Ingram played just 20 games over his last two years with the Chargers, with 13 in 2019 and seven in 2020. Ingram did have seven sacks and 12 quarterback hits in 2019 in just 13 games and another seven and 16 in 2018 — his last year playing all 16 games.
Ingram's 2015-18 stretch made him a premier pass-rushing name to know with 36 sacks, 80 quarterback hits, 15 passes defended and 10 forced fumbles over 64 games, playing 16 in all five years.
