Saints RB Mark Ingram Could Be the Answer to One of the Team’s Biggest Questions in 2022
On paper, the New Orleans Saints should be a greatly improved team in 2022. All-Pro WR Michael Thomas, QB Jameis Winston, G Andrus Peat, T Ryan Ramczyk, and K Wil Lutz are back from injuries that cost them most or all of last season.
Free agents Tyrann Mathieu, Marcus Maye, Jarvis Landry, and Kentavius Street were brought in to upgrade positions of need. First-round picks WR Chris Olave and OT Trevor Penning are expected to make an immediate impact.
The Saints have few glaring weaknesses on their roster heading towards training camp. One area of concern is the running back position. Alvin Kamara is one of the NFL's most versatile and dynamic players and is the focal point of the New Orleans attack. However, Kamara was arrested for a February incident in Las Vegas.
Kamara will almost certainly be suspended by the league for the incident, a violation of the NFL's personal conduct policy. His hearing is pushed back until the beginning of August, making a suspension to start the year less likely. Still, the likelihood of such an occurrence puts the focus on the quality of depth behind him.
Tony Jones, undrafted in 2020, played well enough last preseason to cause the team to release established veterans Latavius Murray and Devonta Freeman. Once the regular season began, Jones was ineffective and limited by injuries. Midway into the year, the Saints swung a trade to bring a franchise hero back to the backfield.
That player could also provide the answer to one of the team’s biggest roster question in 2022.
MARK INGRAM, RB
- 32-years old
- 11 NFL seasons
New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram II (14) runs against Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54). Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY
Saints fans were heartbroken when Ingram departed as a free agent after the 2018 season. A Heisman Trophy winner at Alabama and first-round pick by New Orleans in the 2011 NFL Draft, Ingram had three 1,000-yard campaigns and two Pro Bowls in eight years with the team. He left tantalizingly shy of the franchise's all-time rushing yards record.
After two years with the Baltimore Ravens, Ingram signed with the Houston Texans last season. The Saints brought their prodigal son home in late October by trading a 2024 seventh-round pick to Houston. Ingram would be reunited with friend and protégé Kamara, a duo that combined for 5,501 yards and 51 touchdowns in 2017 and 2018.
Kamara was inevitably struck by the injury bug that rolled through the entire team last season, hurting a knee that sidelined him for four games. Ingram picked up 135 rushing yards and another 86 receiving in the first two games without Kamara. He too, was struck down with a knee injury that left New Orleans without their top two backs for two games.
Ingram's injury kept him out of four of the last seven games. He was noticeably limited when he did play, managing only 61 total yards in three contests over the final stretch. In seven games with the Saints, Ingram rushed for 260 yards and caught 20 passes for 138 yards. He also surpassed Deuce McAllister as the franchise's all-time leader in rushing yardage.
In nine seasons with New Orleans, Ingram has 6,267 rushing yards and 51 touchdowns, adding 248 receptions for 1,736 yards and another five scores. He’s the franchise's all-time leader in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and is just 41 rushing attempts away from passing McAllister for tops in franchise history in that category. Ingram is one of just three players in team history to have consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
Does Mark Ingram have enough left to carry the offense if Kamara gets suspended?
New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram (14) runs against Atlanta linebacker Deion Jones. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
This is one of the biggest questions that the Saints face in 2022. Ingram has stayed in great shape and looked sharp in the team’s OTA sessions. However, he’ll also turn 33 before the end of the season and has absorbed the punishment of over 2,200 offensive touches in his career.
Ingram is a power back at 5’9” and 215-Lbs. Last season, he showed that he is still an effective runner between the tackles and a valuable receiver out of the backfield. However, he didn't make a lot of plays in the open field. He’ll need to answer whether that was because of the knee injury, or whether he is slowing down.
Other than a visit with RB Sony Michel, who ultimately signed with Miami, the Saints didn't attempt to address the running back spot this offseason. They added undrafted rookie Abram Smith and signed Devine Ozigbo, an undrafted back in his fourth season.
Ingram is one of just 10 players on the New Orleans roster 30 or older. He’s the second oldest offensive player, behind only backup QB Andy Dalton.
At this stage of his career, Ingram is best as a complement to Kamara rather than a featured back. Whether one of the franchise's all-time greats has enough left to shoulder the load if Kamara misses time may be one of the biggest keys in 2022 for New Orleans.
