Melvin Ingram Leaves Kansas City, Chiefs Set to Get Comp Pick

Ingram lands elsewhere in free agency, netting the Chiefs a comp selection.

After a partial season with the Kansas City Chiefs, defensive end Melvin Ingram is moving to Florida. Per Jordan Schultz, the three-time Pro Bowler is signing with the Miami Dolphins.

Breaking: FA DE Melvin Ingram is signing with the Dolphins, per source. The 3x Pro Bowler has 51 career sacks with 74 TFLs and 119 QB hits. Another good move for Chris Grier and the Phins.
- Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) on Sunday, May 15, 2022 at 3:31 p.m. CST

Dec 12, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Melvin Ingram (24) greets fans while leaving the field after the win over the Las Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Ingram, who the Chiefs acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers in early November in exchange for a sixth-round pick, played a major role in the turnaround of Steve Spagnuolo's defense last season. His stats may not have been anything eye-popping in the regular season (one sack in nine games), but he recorded a pair of sacks and a tackle for loss during Kansas City's playoff run. 

The addition of Ingram to the defense allowed defensive tackle Chris Jones to move back inside to his traditional three-technique alignment, serving as a domino effect for the defense as a whole. Ingram spoke positively near the end of the Chiefs' season about potentially returning to Kansas City, although that never came to fruition during the offseason process.

Many expected Ingram, a veteran with a bit of an injury history, to wait until around training camp to sign with a team. He did so last year, which makes his mid-May decision a shock. Kansas City even went so far as to apply the unrestricted free agent (UFA) tag on him, giving him potential security for a contract and the team a minor insurance policy should he not re-sign.

Dec 5, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) is sacked by Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Melvin Ingram (24) during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Under the tag, Ingram was essentially offered a salary of $4.4 million to play for the Chiefs in the upcoming 2022 campaign. Because he signed elsewhere, Kansas City is slated to receive a 2023 compensatory draft pick. The contract and comp pick details have yet to be released as of the publishing of this article.

Without Ingram in the picture, the pressure is temporarily shifted to rookie first-round pick George Karlaftis and veteran pass-rusher Frank Clark. That duo was projected to start originally opposite each other — regardless of Ingram's free agency decision — but there isn't much depth behind them now. With that said, there is still plenty of time left in the offseason for Kansas City to improve its defensive end room.