Melvin Ingram Traded from Steelers to Chiefs in Exchange for 6th-Round Pick

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced they’ve traded outside linebacker Melvin Ingram III to the Kansas City Chiefs
in exchange for a 2022 sixth-round draft pick ahead of Tuesday’s 2021 NFL
trade deadline.

Ingram had confirmed his impending move to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network provided further
details about the deal:

The 32-year-old edge-rusher signed a
one-year, $4 million contract with Pittsburgh in July. He ended up
making just six appearances for the organization.

Ingram was previously one of the NFL’s
most consistent pass-rushers. He recorded 43 sacks in the five-year
span from 2015 through 2019 with the Los Angeles Chargers, including
at least seven sacks in each season. He earned three straight Pro
Bowl selections during that stretch (2017-19).

The University of South Carolina
product failed to record any sacks across seven games for the Bolts
last season amid two stints on injured reserve because of a knee
injury, though.

Although there were some sporadic
promising signs during his short stay in Pittsburgh, he still didn’t
look like the game-changing player he was for L.A. He tallied 10
total tackles, one sack and one pass defended for the Steelers.

Ingram played just 26 percent of the
team’s defensive snaps in a Week 6 win over the Seattle Seahawks and,
coming out of the team’s Week 7 bye, missed Sunday’s win over the Cleveland
Browns with a groin injury.

Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin said
the linebacker’s absence from Friday’s practice was because of the
injury, not the rumored discontent with his diminishing role.

“I’ve had some conversations with
Melvin, but I will leave those between he and I,” Tomlin told
reporters. “The reason he didn’t work today is because of his
groin.”

Now Ingram will attempt to provide a
boost to a Chiefs pass rush that’s been one of the reasons for the
team’s sluggish start to the 2021 campaign. They’ve recorded just 11
sacks through eight games, which is the lowest rate in the league.

Kansas City, which reached the Super
Bowl the past two seasons, owns a 4-4 record and is on the outside looking in at the AFC playoff picture, so it wouldn’t
be a surprise to see the front office make another move or two before
the deadline seeking a spark.

Next up for the Chiefs is a marquee
clash with the Green Bay Packers (7-1) on Sunday. It’s unclear
whether Ingram will be ready to return from his groin injury for that
contest.