Mark Ingram

Latest On RB Mark Ingram

Mark Ingram is pivoting to a broadcasting career. FOX Sports announced today that the running back will be joining their staff as a pregame analyst for “Big Noon Sports.” Ingram will contribute alongside Matt Leinart, Brady Quinn, Urban Meyer, and host Rob Stone every Saturday during the college football season.

The commitment likely signals the end of Ingram’s NFL career, and the announcement indicated that the running back has indeed hung up his cleats. We heard last month that Ingram was likely to retire and join FOX Sports.

“I’m thrilled to join FOX Sports and BIG NOON KICKOFF”, said Ingram (via FoxSports.com). “I can’t wait to feel the energy and excitement every Saturday, alongside some of the most talented and entertaining names in our sport, at the biggest games in college football – I’m ready for the Fall!”

Ingram became an Alabama legend after rushing for more than 3,200 yards and 42 touchdowns during his three seasons at the school. This included a 2009 campaign where he won a national championship and became the first Alabama player to win the Heisman Trophy.

The running back ended up being a first-round pick by the Saints in 2011, and he’ll finish his career as the franchise’s all-time leader in rushing yards (6,500) and rushing touchdowns (52). Following a recent two-year stint in Baltimore and a brief cameo in Houston, Ingram returned to the Saints and spent the past year-plus in New Orleans. He got into 10 games (three starts) this past season, finishing with 301 yards from scrimmage.

The 33-year-old said in April that he felt he could still be a valuable member of a RB committee in 2023. However, considering the number of reliable running back options still on the market, Ingram likely didn’t have many (if any) suitors looking to bring him in.

Ingram will finish his career with 10,236 yards from scrimmage and 75 touchdowns, plus another 356 yards and one score in seven playoff games.

RB Mark Ingram Expected To Retire

Mark Ingram had previously stated an intent to continue his playing career in 2023, but his short-term future appears to be headed in a different direction. The veteran running back’s broadcasting career could begin in the fall.

Ingram is expected to retire and join FOX Sports’ “Big Noon Kickoff” show, reports Andrew Marchand of the New York Post. There is set to be an opening on the college pregame program with fellow former Saints running back Reggie Bush‘s contract expiring. Making the move to broadcasting would mark a signficant about-face on Ingram’s part given his recent remarks on his playing future.

The 33-year-old said in April that he felt he could still be a valuable member of a RB committee this season. Ingram enjoyed a highly productive campaign in 2019, his first season with the Ravens. He eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards and scored 15 total touchdowns that year, earning a third Pro Bowl nod. His opportunities and production since then, however, have taken a turn for the worse.

The former first-rounder ultimately fell out of the lineup in Baltimore in 2020, and began the following season in Houston. He was traded to the Saints to begin a second stint in New Orleans in October 2021, and he remained there last season. Ingram saw 130 total carries in his new Saints tenure behind Alvin Kamara, but the team looked elsewhere this offseason in their bid to add different backup options. Veteran Jamaal Williams was signed to a three-year deal, while Kendre Miller was added in the third round of the draft, leaving Ingram in search of another new home.

Nothing has materialized with respect to interest from prospective teams – something which comes as little surprise given how modest the RB market has been this year and the group of experienced backs still available. Rather than attempting to take the field for a 13th NFL season, Ingram could soon formally start the second phase of his football career.

RB Mark Ingram Wants To Play In 2023

Long after the initial waves of free agency, a number of veteran running backs remain unsigned. One of those is Mark Ingram, who has his eyes set on playing a 13th campaign in the NFL.

The 33-year-old spent last season with the Saints, having made a return to where he began his career the previous fall. Ingram had a memorable tenure in New Orleans between 2012 and 2018, earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods. Given the arrival of Alvin Kamara, though, his chance to re-take a lead role required a new environment.

Signing a three-year deal in Baltimore allowed the former Heisman winner to do just that. Ingram racked up 1,265 scrimmage yards and 15 total touchdowns in his debut Ravens season in 2019. That suggested his second act could involve a repeat of that performance for at least a few more years, but his production has dropped considerably since that point. Ingram has amassed only 1,086 rushing yards since 2020, and he was limited to 10 games last season due to an MCL injury.

That will no doubt hurt his free agent value as he looks to extend his playing career by at least one more season. The fact that Ingram has always worked as part of a tandem or committee in the backfield, however, is something he is acutely aware of as he weighs his options.

“I think sharing backfields, I think not getting overloaded with 300 carries a season for like five or six seasons in a row, I think that has helped me make it to Year 13 and still have a good body where I feel strong, I feel explosive, I feel like I can contribute and produce at a high level,” he said, via Mark Inabinett of Alabama.com.

Ingram is joined by the likes of Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette and Kareem Hunt as backs with significant pedigree who are facing uncertain futures. The latter three are all likely to find new homes earlier than Ingram, but the post-draft period will provide more clarity with respect to which teams are still in need of depth additions at the position. At that point, Ingram may be in line to land with the Saints on another new deal, or with a new team as he looks to add to his career achievements.

Saints Make Number Of IR Moves, Claim RB Eno Benjamin

As we enter the final stretch of the regular season, New Orleans is making preparations, designating center Erik McCoy and linebacker Chase Hansen for return off injured reserve, according to Field Yates of ESPN. Both players have sat out of the team’s last four games, the minimum amount required to return form IR.

McCoy was placed on IR after leaving New Orleans’ Monday night loss to the Ravens in early-November. The team’s fourth-year starting center left the game with a calf injury and sat out the next five weeks, mirroring his absence from the year before due to similar calf issues. Usual starting right guard Cesar Ruiz, who has center experience from his time as a Wolverine, has been filling in for McCoy with backup lineman Calvin Throckmorton filling Ruiz’s spot at guard. Veteran interior lineman Josh Andrews has also helped to fill out the two positions, starting three of the four games McCoy has missed.

Hansen’s return will add a bit of depth at the linebacker position. The third-year player out of Utah had been a mainstay on the special teams units this season before finding his way to IR.

The team also has officially placed veteran running back Mark Ingram on IR following the slight MCL tear suffered in the team’s more recent Monday night loss to the Buccaneers. The injury to the team’s backup running back has forced New Orleans to make some moves, the first of which being the promotion of practice squad running back David Johnson to the 53-man roster.

The second move made to counter the absence of Ingram is today’s waiver claim of former Texans and Cardinals running back Eno Benjamin, confirmed by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Benjamin was released by Arizona a few weeks after a three-week starting run that included a 113-yard, touchdown-scoring performance. He quickly was picked up by the Texans who gave him two weeks to adjust to his new settings before playing him sparingly each of the past two weeks. He received his first carries as a Texan last weekend against the Cowboys before getting waived for the second time this season.

Benjamin was starting to show some production as a backup running back in his second year of NFL play, earning 299 yards off 70 carries before getting waived from the Cardinals. Combining Benjamin with Johnson should provide New Orleans with some solid, fresh legs behind starter Alvin Kamara.

Injury Rumors: Ingram, Tagovailoa, Sutton, Joseph-Day

Saints running back Mark Ingram has likely seen his 2022 season come to an end, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The soon-to-be 33-year-old is set to tie a ribbon on his lowest single season of production in 12 seasons of NFL play.

Ingram suffered a slight MCL tear in the team’s Monday night loss to the Buccaneers. The injury usually requires a recovery period of around four to six weeks. With five weeks remaining in the season, it’s extremely unlikely that Ingram will find his way back to the field in the regular season. Despite the Saints currently sitting at last place in the NFC South at 4-9, they are only 2.5 games behind the first-place Buccaneers (6-6). If they can win some games and catch some good luck in the form of losses by their division rivals, New Orleans could still find itself in the playoffs as the NFC South champion. Otherwise, Ingram’s 2022 season is likely concluded.

Ingram returned to his longtime home of New Orleans after two years in Baltimore and half a season in Houston, accepting his No. 2 role in the lineup behind star running back Alvin Kamara. Ingram has served as a reliable second option in the backfield for the Saints, who will now have to turn to Dwayne Washington to fill that role.

Here are a few other injury rumors from around the league, starting with an MVP candidate looking to keep a strong season going:

  • Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa exited the team’s loss to the 49ers last week late in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. Already down 33-17 at the time of the injury, there was no use in forcing the young quarterback back into play, although, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, he could’ve returned to the game, if necessary. The news is a good sign for the Dolphins and Tagovailoa as the injury is likely not significant. As of today, all signs are pointing to Tagovailoa being able to start Sunday night against the quarterback who was drafted one pick after him in the 2020 NFL Draft, Justin Herbert, and the Chargers.
  • The Broncos can’t seem to catch a break at the wide receiver position. Shortly after seeing starting wideout Jerry Jeudy return to the field against the Ravens last week, Denver saw its other starting wide receiver, Courtland Sutton, leave the game late in the second quarter with a hamstring injury, according to Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post. Sutton would sit out the rest of game with a noticeable limp. He’s also expected to be unavailable for the team’s matchup with the Chiefs this weekend, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. With Sutton and KJ Hamler out this week, the Broncos will continue to field a receiving corps that, after Jeudy, boasts the likes of Kendall Hinton, Brandon Johnson, Montrell Washington, and Jalen Virgil.
  • Chargers defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day suffered a knee injury in this weekend’s loss to the division rival Raiders. Luckily, head coach Brandon Staley told the media that Joseph-Day likely avoided major injury and has been diagnosed with an MCL sprain, according to ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry. The team will continue to monitor the situation and will know more about his status in the next few days.

Saints RB Mark Ingram Facing Multi-Week Absence

The Saints enjoyed a resounding win over the Raiders yesterday, but their backfield lost a key contributor in the process. Veteran running back Mark Ingram has suffered a grade 2 MCL sprain, and is likely to miss the next three to four weeks, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).

As Rapoport notes, the news could have have been much worse for the 32-year-old. Still, his absence will be felt by New Orleans, which has seen success in turning to a run-heavy offense. The team ranks eighth in the league with an average of 141 yards per game on the ground. Ingram has chipped in with 197 yards this season, as he continues his second stint with the Saints.

The former Heisman winner ended his eight-year tenure with the team in 2019, when he signed with the Ravens. That resulted in his second career Pro Bowl nod, as he totaled 1,265 yards and 15 touchdowns. He lost the starter’s role midway through the following season, however, and found himself on the rebuilding Texans last year. That move was rather brief; Houston traded him back to New Orleans for a seventh-round pick in October, allowing Ingram to once again serve as Alvin Kamara‘s backup via a one-year extension which will expire in March.

The latter, to no surprise, leads the Saints in rushing yards in 2022. Swiss-Army knife Taysom Hill ranks second, but the team’s depth will be tested without Ingram for a significant stretch. Fellow veteran Latavius Murray chose to sign with the Broncos (despite the offer of a 53-man roster spot from the Saints), as Denver has searched for a stop-gap Javonte Williams replacement. That leaves Dwayne Washington as the only other back on the Saints’ active roster.

Looking to make up more ground in the wide-open NFC South, the 3-5 Saints will be without Ingram when they host the Ravens next Monday. How many more contests he misses could dictate their aggressiveness in acquiring a short-term replacement.

Saints Sign Malcolm Brown, Nick Martin

With an Alvin Kamara suspension in play for 2022, the Saints have been looking at veteran running backs. They added one to their mix Tuesday.

The Saints added former Rams and Dolphins back Malcolm Brown, doing so on a day in which they also signed center Nick Martin. The Brown addition comes after a fairly thorough look into the position this offseason, while Martin — after five years with the Texans and one with the Raiders — should be expected to compete for a backup job.

New Orleans brought in both Sony Michel and David Johnson this year, while also auditioning USFL Offensive Player of the Year Darius Victor. Johnson is believed to have come with too high a price tag for the Saints, per NFL.com’s Jane Slater (video link). The Michel workout also came just before the former Patriots and Rams starter signed with the Dolphins, who opted to let Brown walk as they transitioned to a new coaching staff.

Although Mark Ingram is positioned to be Kamara’s top backup, Slater adds the Saints would not plan to use the 33-year-old as a full-timer at this stage of his career. Brown coming in provides insurance, with a Kamara suspension — for a February brawl in Las Vegas that led to an arrest and a civil lawsuit — potentially coming down this season. A Kamara ban would obviously make a significant impact on the Saints’ offense, judging by how it looked last season when the Pro Bowl back missed time, but Brown does provide a potential upgrade alongside Ingram.

Brown, 29, suffered a quadriceps injury last season; he played just seven games during his short Dolphins tenure. While Brown rushed for just 125 yards in 2021, he gained 419 and scored five touchdowns as part of a 2020 Rams committee. The former Todd Gurley backup also held regular special teams roles in Los Angeles, giving him a potential boost to make New Orleans’ 53-man roster. The Saints also have veteran special-teamer Dwayne Washington, recent signing Devine Ozigbo and third-year back Tony Jones on their 90-man offseason roster.

Martin, also 29, worked as Houston’s full-time starting center from 2017-20, earning an extension in that time. Despite missing his entire rookie season, Martin has proven durable since. He has not missed a game since 2017, when he was sidelined for two, and has 62 career starts. The former second-round pick, however, did not start a game for the Raiders in 2021, and lingered in free agency for months. He joins Forrest Lamp and Josh Andrews as notable Saints interior O-line depth. The team’s inside trio of Andrus Peat, Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz is set.

The Saints also signed defensive end Scott Patchan and waived punter Daniel Whelan, offensive lineman Derek Schweiger and cornerback Jordan Miller on Tuesday.

Latest On Alvin Kamara, Saints RB Depth

The NFL continues to monitor Alvin Kamara‘s legal situation. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the running back’s February arrest remains “under league review” while the NFL continues to monitor “all legal developments.” This includes Kamara’s scheduled court date on August 1.

Kamara was charged with felony battery following an altercation in Las Vegas during Pro Bowl weekend. Video surveillance showed Kamara punching Darnell Greene eight times following an argument, with Greene being knocked unconscious and sustaining an orbital bone fracture. Greene has since sued Kamara for monetary damages.

The NFL’s personal conduct policy calls for a six-game suspension for felony battery. As Fowler writes, there’s no “firm timeline” regarding when a potential suspension would be handed out. League sources told Fowler that they believe Kamara will ultimately be suspended, but a lot depends on the legal findings. If the legal proceedings are dragged out, Kamara might be allowed to suit up for Week 1, although the NFL also has the ability to put the RB on paid leave via the commissioner’s exempt list.

Regardless of how Kamara’s legal issues unfold, the Saints are still hunting for RB depth. As Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com writes, the Saints would clearly like to add some reinforcement at the position. While Duncan categorizes the RB pursuit as a “want” and notes that there isn’t any immediate urgency, the pursuit could easily evolve into a “need” if Kamara is ultimately slapped with a ban. If the Pro Bowler is forced to miss time, the Saints would turn to veteran Mark Ingram, but the team otherwise has inexperienced depth in Tony Jones, Dwayne Washington, Devine Ozigbo, and UDFA Abram Smith.

As Duncan notes, we’ve already seen the Saints be aggressive when it comes to adding at the position. The team put in a bid for Sony Michel before he landed with the Dolphins, and they’ve also hosted veteran David Johnson and USFL standout Darius Victor on visits. The team even outbid the rest of the NFL in order to add Smith, who was “one of the Class of 2022’s prize undrafted free agents.”

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/17/21

Today’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

  • Activated from Reserve/COVID-19 List: RB Mark Ingram

New York Giants

Washington Football Team

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/8/21

Today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Designated for return: G D’Ante Smith, CB Trae Waynes

Denver Broncos

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Washington Football Team