The Kansas City Chiefs are having a disappointing start to the 2021 NFL season, with shaky defense being a major reason for their struggles. The Chiefs reportedly attempted to fix some of their issues by trading for Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Melvin Ingram.
According to NFL Network’s Aditi Kinkhabwala, Kansas City made an official trade offer to the Steelers for Ingram but had no success. Despite not using the 32-year-old all that much, Pittsburgh is believed to be reluctant to let him go to an AFC rival.
The player would reportedly welcome a trade as he is unhappy with his playing time with the Steelers. Ingram only started one game this season while playing 64 percent of the team’s snaps on defense. He has 10 tackles, one sack, and six QB hits in six appearances in 2021.
Melvin Ingram, who has three Pro Bowl appearances to his name, spent the first nine years of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers. Ingram left the Chargers after his contract expired following the 2020 NFL season and agreed to a one-year deal with the Steelers. The Chiefs reportedly pursued him in the free agency, but he preferred to move to Pittsburgh.
Kansas City also missed out on several other targets in recent weeks. They were aggressively pursuing Whitney Mercilus after he was released by the Houston Texans, but the veteran linebacker opted to sign with the Green Bay Packers instead.
