Mark Ingram played only 61 offensive snaps the final 11 regular-season games last season, falling behind J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards on the Ravens’ depth chart. The Ravens made Ingram inactive for four of the final five regular-season games and the entire postseason.
Released by Baltimore in January, Ingram signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Texans.
Ingram, who had a career-low 349 yards from scrimmage last season, now sees his lack of use in 2020 as a blessing in disguise.
“Yeah, that was bad how that ended,” Ingram said, via Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790. “It wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t ideal for how I wanted that season to go or how I thought my season would go and for me to be able to help my team in the playoffs and just winning. It was tough, but the blessing in disguise was that my body [stayed fresh]. I feel super healthy. I feel super explosive. I’m springy right now. . . . Just my body feels great.”
The Texans have given their running backs room a makeover after averaging 91.6 rushing yards per game to rank 31st in the league. They retained David Johnson and signed Ingram and Phillip Lindsay. All three are former Pro Bowlers.
“Being a part of the backfield with David Johnson and Phillip Lindsay, I’m excited about that opportunity,” Ingram said. “The more backs that you have that can be great and excel in many different ways – I appreciate their games. I’ve been a fan of David Johnson, and I told him that. I’ve been a fan of Phillip Lindsey, and I told him that. I admire the way they play the game a lot. I admire their professionalism, and I think all of us have played the game at the highest level in this league. For us to be able to compete and make each other better, but most importantly make our team better, is nothing but an advantage for us.”