Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images Melvin Ingram of the Los Angeles Chargers warms up before a game against the Raiders at Dignity Health Sports Park on December 22, 2019 in Carson, California.
Well, that didn’t take long. It was only last night that Jason La Confora of CBS Sports reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers planned to host ex-Los Angeles Chargers edge rusher Melvin Ingram III for a visit sometime this week.
On Monday afternoon, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that the Steelers are signing Ingram, 32, to a one-year contract, with the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins having been the three-time Pro Bowler’s other suitors.
The Steelers have yet to announce the deal. According to La Confora, Ingram’s one-year contract is for $4 million.
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Melvin Ingram III Was Drafted No. 18 Overall in 2012
But Ingram—6-foot-2 and 247 pounds—does seem to be a good fit for Pittsburgh’s situation, as the Steelers have been in desperate need of someone who can back up starter T.J. Watt and projected starter Alex Highsmith, the former a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate and the latter a 2020 third-round draft pick.
Assuming this move becomes official, it would bump journeyman edge rusher Cassius Marsh down to No. 4 in the outside linebacker pecking order, with rookie sixth-round pick Quincy Roche (University of Miami) pushed down to No. 5 (and probably destined to start the 2021 season on the practice squad).
As for Ingram, he’s a former first-round pick out of South Carolina who accomplished little during his first two seasons in the league, but blossomed after that. Most notably, he earned Pro Bowl honors in three straight seasons between 2017-19 before playing just seven games in 2020. That’s thanks to two stints on the injured reserve list, with the second one coming after he re-injured his knee during a Week 11 victory over the New York Jets.
In terms of his career numbers, the Hamlet, N.C. native has been credited with 360 tackles (265 solo), along with 49 sacks, 70 tackles for loss and 108 quarterback hits. He has also recorded three interceptions, 14 forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries, as well as 28 passes defensed.
Lions-Steelers Preseason Game to be Televised Live on NFL Network
On Monday NFL Network announced that it will broadcast 23 of this year’s preseason games live on NFL Network.
.@nflnetwork to Carry Record 23 LIVE Preseason Games, starting August 12!
Schedule features debuts of 1st round QBs Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields & Mac Jones
Release: t.co/mwteq1JZcF
Live preseason games are subject to blackouts in local markets of participating teams
One of those games involves the Steelers. That is, the Saturday August 21 game against the Detroit Lions at Heinz Field (7:30 p.m. Eastern).
Pittsburgh’s preseason opener—the Pro Football Hall of Fame game against the Dallas Cowboys—will also be on national television, broadcast by FOX at 8 p.m. (Eastern) on Thursday August 5. The Hall of Fame game will kick off a long weekend of ceremonies, with Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies to include Steelers legends Bill Cowher, Troy Polamalu, Donnie Shell and Alan Faneca. Bill Nunn, a longtime member of Pittsburgh’s scouting department and front office, will be honored as well. Nunn was enshrined posthumously during a special ceremony in late April.
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