Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher Melvin Ingram is headed to the Kansas City Chiefs, finding a new home just days after formally requesting a trade.
The Steelers signed Ingram this offseason hoping he would fill the void created when Bud Dupree left in free agency. Ingram, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, started the first two games before his snap count steadily declined. With the emergence of pass rusher Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh started fielding calls on its third edge defender.
- Melvin Ingram stats (2021): 18 total pressures, six quarterback hits, two tackles for loss, one sack
The Chiefs were involved in discussions for weeks, but Pittsburgh held out with the hope of trading Ingram to an NFC team. Now, per NFL insider Josina Anderson, Ingram is headed to Kansas City. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Steelers will receive a future sixth-round pick.
Ingram should make an immediate impact for the Chiefs, who enter Week 9 with one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Through eight games, Kansas City ranks 21st in pressure rate (23.4%) and has the second-fewest sacks (11) in the NFL.
The 6-foot-2 edge rusher will allow Kansas City to shift Chris Jones inside more. When Jones primarily played on the interior defensive line in 2020, he generated 60 total pressures and was one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL.
