There isn’t a hidden meaning in the fact that New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram missed the team’s voluntary activities and offseason conditioning program. Although people immediately assumed he was looking for a new deal, it turns out that the 28-year-old is happy with his contract and just wanted to work out on his own.
“You know, people will make their own narrative. The media makes their own narrative. I’m not angry with my contract. I wasn’t holding out,” – Ingram told reporters on Tuesday during the team’s mandatory minicamp. “Yeah, I’m in the last year of my deal. Of course, I’d like an extension. But that’s not the reason I wasn’t here. You have the option to stay home and train on your own. … The main reason that I was not here was because I was training on my own, working on some things that I felt like I needed to get better at, that I could do best on my own.“
Despite his hard work during the offseason, Ingram won’t be able to help his team at the beginning of 2018 season. He recently received a four-game suspension from NFL after violating league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. This will be a huge blow for both the player and the New Orleans Saints, given the fact that Mark Ingram is coming off his best statistical season in NFL.
In 2017 season, Ingram had 1,124 rushing yards from 230 carries alongside 12 touchdowns. He also added 58 catches which counted for 416 receiving yards.
