Melvin Ingram explains why he chose the Steelers as his home for 2021

The Pro Bowl linebacker talks about why he chose the Steelers over other teams who were showing interest in his services.

The Pittsburgh Steelers made national media waves Monday when they were able to sign former Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram to a one-year, $4 million dollar contract.

In case you missed the breakdown of Ingram’s contract, and how much space the Steelers have remaining, see below.

After the dust settled on the news, several fans, and media members, wondered why an established player like Ingram would choose the Steelers. After all, it was reported the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins, among others, had also been in the mix for Ingram’s services.

What made him choose the Steelers over those teams? Well, former ESPN reporter Josina Anderson got the scoop by speaking to Ingram shortly after the deal was done. This is what Ingram had to say regarding why he chose Pittsburgh as his home for the 2021 season.

“I just did the deal not too long ago and just got to the airport. It’s definitely a dope organization and environment; so I definitely feel it’s the place for me.” Ingram told Anderson.

“I met with Coach [Mike] Tomlin. You can tell he is very involved and a players coach. That’s what stood out to me. He wants to win and that is what I am on. My role is my role. He just told me to come in and be me. Everyone knows how I play.”

There are times when being a “players coach” is viewed as a negative, but in this case it seems to have been a deciding factor in Ingram coming to Pittsburgh.

It also looks as if the Steelers are trying their best to put a championship team together for 2021, and if they are able to do so it would be a huge feat considering the salary cap dropping prior to the start of the new league year.

Nonetheless, Ingram’s presence alone will be a huge upgrade for the Steelers’ defense. What was an extremely thin position group at outside linebacker just got a veteran playmaker added to it.

Does this mean the organization has given up on Alex Highsmith? Absolutely not. But it also means they don’t have to rely on the second year linebacker to step in and perform at a high level right away. In fact, you might suggest the trio of T.J. Watt, Highsmith and Ingram could be one of the best pass rushing trios in the entire NFL.

Now, if Ingram can just stay healthy…but that’s a topic of discussion for another time. In the meantime, the Steelers fan base should be excited about the potential Ingram brings to the black and gold for 2021.

Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the black and gold as they prepare for the 2021 regular season.