Melvin Ingram plays it close to vest in first news conference with Kansas City Chiefs
New Chiefs defensive end Melvin Ingram isn’t short on expectations after a midseason trade sent him from Pittsburgh to Kansas City this week, classifying himself, even at age 32, as fully prepared to be the player who previously made three Pro Bowl teams.
He was a bit short on answers, though, at least on Thursday.
Ingram offered little clarity into the circumstances that prompted his detoured path to the Chiefs. In his first meeting with the media here since Tuesday’s trade with the Steelers, Ingram declined to say why he didn’t sign with the Chiefs after a March workout. (For the record, the two sides didn’t agree on the finances.)
And he similarly declined to elaborate on his situation with the Steelers, a relationship that prompted coach Mike Tomlin to say, “It’s better to have volunteers than it it is to have hostages.”
Ingram said he didn’t feel like a hostage in his first year in Pittsburgh after nine with the Chargers.
But ...
“The situation was kind of different,” he offered. “I ain’t in to telling lies. It was different. It wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. But it’s good. It was a dope situation. I respect all those guys. I respect Coach Tomlin, all the coaches, all the players. It was definitely a blessing to be with those guys.”
Asked to specify how it wasn’t what he expected, Ingram repeated, “It was just different. Just different.”
The Chiefs’ interest in Ingram dates back to March, when they invited Ingram to their facility for a workout. He flew home without a contract. Asked if he’d been offered one, Ingram said, “I can’t remember, to be honest. It was so far back. I’m just focused on today.”
Well, the “today” includes a hyper-education on Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. Ingram has played as the outside linebacker in a 3-4 base alignment for most of his career and will now transition to defensive end in a 4-3 scheme. He downplayed the significance of that change, but nobody involved — Ingram, Spagnuolo, Chiefs coach Andy Reid — is prepared to say whether Ingram will be activated for Sunday’s game, when the Packers visit Arrowhead Stadium.
“I feel like we’re just going to see how the week goes,” Ingram said. “I’m definitely trying to getup to speed. You can come in and some lingo is the same, some is different. You’ve just gotta learn that lingo. That’s why we’re taking it one day at a time.”
There are some early signs the transition could be quick. Ingram joined the Chiefs’ first practice this week on Wednesday, wearing jersey No. 24 after donning No. 8 in Pittsburgh. They’re both tributes, he said, to the late Kobe Bryant.
In one meeting, Spagnuolo said he began to explain something to Ingram, who essentially finished his sentence.
“It doesn’t feel like right now that’s going to be a tough adjustment for him, but we’ll see,” Spagnuolo said.
Ingram has 50 career sacks — matching Frank Clark for most in the Chiefs’ locker room — and comes in to help a pass rush that ranks second-to-last in the NFL in sacks.
He had only one sack with the Steelers this season, though Pro Football Focus credits him with 18 pressures, which falls in line with his career output. He missed most of the 2020 season with an injury that he tried to play through. He ultimately decided to rest, which hindered his offseason value.
The Chiefs were interested, though.
His path to Kansas City just took a stop along the way. Ultimately, his midseason arrival — rather than before training camp — alters the expectations, to be sure. The Chiefs will have to use game experience to determine the role best suited for him.
“I’ve got to figure that out, to be honest with you,” Spagnuolo said. “But he is in the defensive end spot. It’s like anybody that you don’t really know a lot about and you’ve gotta learn what they can do with what they can absorb.
“You don’t really find out until you get in a game — because of practices. You’ll have to give us a little bit of time to figure out how to use him.”
This story was originally published November 4, 2021 at 1:53 PM.