Melvin Ingram Sits Out, Looking For A New Deal With The L.A. Chargers

By Jordan Long

The L.A. Chargers are in training camp.  They will start the season on September 13^th on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals.  There is one player who is sitting out practice, defensive end Melvin Ingram.  He is in the last year of his current contract and would like a new deal.

                Ingram has been with the Chargers since they drafted him in 2012.  He has become one of their best interior pass rushers.  When he beats an offensive lineman, Ingram creates pressure on the quarterback, forcing him to throw the ball earlier then he wants.    He also sacks the quarterback.  In his career so far, Ingram totaled 49 sacks.

                When it comes to stopping the run, Ingram wraps up the runner.  He doesn’t allow the opponents’ run game to open up.  Ingram totaled 350 tackles in his career.  Runners have to protect the ball against him because he can knock the ball out of their hands for fumbles forcing 13.

                Ingram has shown he deserves a new deal.  His stats indicate he is one of the top defensive ends for the franchise.  Not many teams have a defensive lineman who can take down the quarterback more than 10 times in a season.  Ingram has passed that twice, 2015 and 2017 when he recorded 10.5 sacks.

                Instead of paying Ingram, the Chargers reached a new contract with Joey Bosa.  After this season, Bosa is going to be paid around $27 million each year until 2025.  Bosa is younger than Ingram at 25.  He is the face of the franchise for the defense.  His stats are already better than Ingram at this point.  Bosa has appeared in 4 NFL seasons and eclipsed the 10+ sack mark in 3 of those years.  The Chargers are paying Bosa because he has improved his game at the NFL level each year since he was drafted.

                Ingram doesn’t want a Bosa type of agreement.  He just wants to finish his career with the Chargers.  The best thing for him is to not sit out.  Holding out isn’t going to make the franchise want to pay him and it shows his situation is bigger than the team.  Ingram needs to be out there with his teammates and prove to the Chargers organization he deserves a new deal.  His play this year could determine his NFL future.  Ingram needs to realize this.