-
Marcel Louis-JacquesESPN
MIAMI — The Dolphins and defensive end Melvin Ingram have agreed to a contract, a league source confirmed to ESPN, adding quality depth to a pass rush that ranked as one of the NFL’s most aggressive last season.
The three-time Pro Bowler Ingram visited the Dolphins before the draft in April, and joins Miami pass-rushers Emmanuel Ogbah, Jaelan Phillips and Andrew Van Ginkel on a rotation that blitzed on 38% of opponents’ dropbacks in 2021 — the second-highest rate in the league. The Dolphins’ sack rate of 7.3% was the seventh-highest in the league last season.
While a majority of their major additions this offseason have come on the offensive side of the ball, Ingram represents the Dolphins’ biggest defensive addition to date. Miami re-signed a majority of its defensive free agents, including Ogbah and linebackers Elandon Roberts, Brennan Scarlett and Duke Riley. It spent fourth and seventh-round picks on linebackers Channing Tindal and Cameron Goode, respectively.
NFL reporter Jordan Schultz was first to report Ingram’s agreement with the Dolphins.
Earlier this month, the Kansas City Chiefs had placed the unrestricted free agent tender on Ingram meaning his signing with the Dolphins will count against the NFL’s compensatory-pick formula. If Ingram had gone unsigned by July 22, the Chiefs would have retained exclusive negotiating rights to him at 110% of his 2021 salary, which would have been $4.4 million.
Ingram, 33, joined the Chiefs last season after being dealt by the Pittsburgh Steelers shortly before the trade deadline. After one sack in six games with the Steelers, Ingram added three more in 12 games with the Chiefs.
In one of the biggest defensive plays of the season for the Chiefs, Ingram forced Denver Broncos running back Melvin Gordon to fumble in the fourth quarter of the final regular-season game and it was returned by linebacker Nick Bolton for the go-ahead touchdown in a 28-24 win.
Ingram began his NFL career with the Chargers. In nine seasons there, Ingram had 49 sacks, including a career-high 10.5 in 2015 and 2017.
He was selected to play in the Pro Bowl following the 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons.
ESPN’s Adam Teicher contributed to this report.