Getty Melvin Ingram sacks Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.
With the November 2 NFL trade deadline right around the corner, the Kansas City Chiefs are trying to get more pass-rush help in the building before it’s too late.
The Chiefs have made a trade offer to the Pittsburgh Steelers for outside linebacker Melvin Ingram, according to Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL Media. However, the Steelers would prefer not to send Ingram to another AFC team. The specifics of the deal are not known.
“As [Ian Rapoport] reported this weekend, OLB Melvin Ingram does indeed want out of Pittsburgh after seeing a reduction in his playing time,” Kinkhabwala wrote on Twitter on Thursday, October 28. “I’m told KC made an offer, but the Steelers ideally don’t want to send him to an AFC team. Could the Cardinals make a good trade partner?”
As @RapSheet reported this weekend, OLB Melvin Ingram does indeed want out of Pittsburgh after seeing a reduction in his playing time. I’m told KC made an offer, but the #Steelers ideally don’t want to send him to an AFC team. Could the #Cardinals make a good trade partner?
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Rapoport: Ingram a Potential Option for Chiefs
As Kinkhabwala wrote, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport noted on Sunday, October 24 that Ingram — who signed with the team this offseason — could potentially be traded due to his inability to find traction with the team and his inexpensive contract. That’s where Kansas City came into play.
“The Chiefs have been among those on the hunt around the league for a pass rusher, and they did host Ingram on a visit before he signed,” Rapoport wrote.
Ingram, as Rapoport mentions, is due just $1.075 million of his remaining base salary for the season, making the 32-year-old pass rusher a viable option for a Chiefs team that has an estimated $2.3 million in available cap space, according to Spotrac. That, coupled with a desperate need for defensive line help makes Ingram an intriguing option for the defending AFC champions, who currently sit at 3-4 on the season and are in third place in the AFC West.
Ingram was the 18th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Chargers. He spent nine seasons with the Chargers, playing in 97 games and tallying 265 tackles, 108 QB hits, 70 tackles for loss, 49 sacks, and seven forced fumbles, per Pro Football Reference. He made back-to-back-to-back Pro Bowl appearances in the 2017-19 seasons.
This season, the veteran pass rusher has played in six games, recording six QB hits, two tackles for loss, and one sack. He has a 73.6 overall PFF grade along with an 82.1 pass-rush grade for the season.
Chiefs Defensive Line’s Dismal Play
One of the most disappointing units that have played a large part in the Chiefs’ defensive struggles this season is the defensive line.
Through seven games, they have accounted for only six sacks, which have come from Mike Danna (3), Chris Jones (2), and Derrick Nnadi (1). Kansas City’s best defensive lineman when it comes to pass-rush grade by PFF is Jones who is graded out at 74.6, and after him, there is a significant drop-off, with defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton being the next highest defensive lineman in pass-rush grade on the team at 59.7.
Defensive end Frank Clark — who is the highest-paid player on the Chiefs this season with an $18.5 million base salary, per Spotrac — has earned an average pass-rush grade of 58.9 in the four games he’s played in this season, recording zero sacks, three quarterback hits, and one hurry in those games.
While Andy Reid noted during his press conference on Monday, October 25 that he’s seen progression from the defensive line over the last couple of weeks, the organization apparently doesn’t believe they are getting enough production from that unit, which is why they are reportedly looking to add to it.
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