The Steelers signed edge rusher Melvin Ingram as a free agent in the offseason, but traded him to the Chiefs this week after Ingram expressed interest in moving to a team where he could get more playing time.
After the trade, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that the Ingram signing “just didn’t work out the way we envisioned” and that “it’s better to have volunteers than it is to have hostages” on your roster. Ingram met with the media in Kansas City on Thursday and took issue with the hostage characterization.
“I never felt like a hostage,” Ingram said, via Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. “I don’t know what he means. The situation was kind of different. I don’t want to tell a lie. It was kind of different. It wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. It was a dope situation. I respect all those guys. I respect coach Tomlin, all the coaches. I respect all the players. It was definitely a blessing to be with those guys.”
Ingram could make his Chiefs debut in Sunday’s game against the Packers and he should have plenty of opportunities to get on the field for a defense that needs him a lot more than Pittsburgh did this season.