Ex-Steelers Edge Rusher Reveals How He Forced His Way Out of Pittsburgh
Former Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Melvin Ingram recently revealed how he forced his way out of Pittsburgh in 2021. It was similar to the James Harrison situation, as he tried to be disruptive as possible to force a trade or be released.
“I just kept it a buck. I stopped going to everything. Call me when you trade me. I don’t even play like that,” Ingram said on the I Am Athlete podcast.
The Steelers ultimately gave in and traded Ingram to the Kansas City Chiefs on November 2, 2021, in exchange for a sixth-round selection in the 2022 NFL draft.
Ingram, who signed a one-year deal with the Steelers on July 20, 2021, was unhappy with his role as the No. 3 edge rusher. He thought he should have been a starter over second-year outside linebacker Alex Highsmith.
Ingram was a healthy scratch for the Steelers’ Week 8 game against the Cleveland Browns, but the team labeled him with a groin injury. Obviously, that wasn’t the case as Ingram was just not showing up.
“I’ve had some conversations with Melvin, but I’ll leave those between he and I,” Mike Tomlin said at the time. “And the reason he didn’t work today is because of his groin.”
Despite things ending on bad terms, Ingram holds no grudge against Tomlin.
“I still rock with Tomlin though. He knows we’re still good,” he said.
Ingram lost in the AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals with the Chiefs in 2021. He then signed with the Miami Dolphins in March of 2022, where he played his final two seasons of his 12-year NFL career.