The Chargers have placed the franchise tag on outside linebacker Melvin Ingram, per multiple reports.
With the deadline for franchise tags coming Wednesday, the Chargers moving to keep Ingram off the market comes as no surprise. He would have been one of the top players and pass rushers on the free agent market had he made it that far, and the Chargers hope to keep him and Joey Bosa as building blocks of their defense going forward.
Ingram, 27, had eight sacks last season and has 18.5 sacks over the past two seasons.
Ingram joins pass-rushers Chandler Jones of the Cardinals and Jason Pierre-Paul of the Giants in getting the franchise tag, which buys their teams time to work on a long-term deal with the new league year set to open March 9.