The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a last-second add to their 90-man roster before the team reports to training camp later this week, signing veteran EDGE rusher Melvin Ingram according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Financial terms of the deal were not immediately known.
Josina Anderson spoke with Ingram just moments ago, sending out these tweets about their conversation.
Ingram, 32, becomes a rare exception of a 30+ year old defender signed by Kevin Colbert and the Steelers. He’ll become important depth at outside linebacker behind starters T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. After losing Bud Dupree to the Tennessee Titans, the Steelers did little to address the position. They drafted Quincy Roche in the sixth round and signed Jamar Watson and Calvin Bundage as UDFAs. But it’s difficult to count on late-round or undrafted rookies and veteran Cassius Marsh would likely be ill-suited to be the team’s #3 pass rusher.
Ingram played in just seven games last season with the Chargers, failing to record a sack. A three-time Pro Bowler from 2017-2019, he has 49 career sacks. His best seasons came in 2015 and 2017, picking up 10.5 sacks each year.
Behind Watt and Highsmith, Ingram is likely to play between 15-25 snaps per game. It’s doubtful he sees time on special teams, leaving those snaps to whoever the #4 outside linebacker becomes in addition to the off-ball linebackers on the roster, like rookie Buddy Johnson.
