New Chiefs defensive end could play this weekend against Packers

Melvin Ingram moved from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Kansas City Chiefs just yesterday, but he may already be good to go for head coach Andy Reid this upcoming weekend. 

“We’ve competed against him a number of times,” Reid said, per Nate Taylor of The Athletic. “He’s getting older but we brought him up in the offseason. We felt he’d be a nice addition to the room.”

Ingram, who spent nine years with the Chargers before landing in Pittsburgh last summer, was acquired by the Chiefs ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. The edge rusher recorded 10 tackles, two tackles for loss and six quarterback hits in six games as a Steeler. He only started one game in Pittsburgh, and he did not play in last weekend’s game against the Cleveland Browns due to a groin injury.

In total, Ingram has 370 tackles, 72 tackles for loss and 50 sacks in his NFL career.

Ingram, 32, was the No. 18 overall NFL Draft selection out of South Carolina in 2012. Prior to this year, he had spent the duration of his professional career with the Chargers. The North Carolina native posted 21.5 total sacks in college, and 19 of the sacks came his junior and senior season.

Chiefs defense gets needed help

The Chiefs host the 7-1 Packers on Sunday and will have their hands full with the NFL’s hottest team.

The Kansas City defense has been a disappointment this season, and the Chiefs are 4-4 almost halfway through the season.

They are 29th in yards (391.5) and 25th in points (27.5) allowed per game this season. The defense is last in the league in sacks per game, with 1.4. Kansas City’s leaders in sacks are defensive end Mike Danna and defensive tackle Chris Jones. Each lineman has three sacks this year.

Ingram was an elite pass rusher in his prime, and he will look to channel his younger self whenever he takes the field for Reid. He hopes to get more playing time in Kansas City than with his former team of just a few months.

The Packers will be without starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Sunday. Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. Jordan Love will get the start under center. The game kicks off at 3:25 p.m. CT on Fox, and the Chiefs are a 7-point favorite.