Running back Mark Ingram, who is enjoying an excellent campaign with the surprising Saints, is under contract with New Orleans through the 2018 season as part of a four-year, $16MM deal he signed with the club in 2015 after the expiration of his rookie contract. He will be owed a $4MM base salary next season, but, as Mike Triplett of ESPN.com observes, the final year of his contract will void if Ingram is named a first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press.
While that provision is not news, it is the first time that it has really come into play. Ingram has been stuck in a series of time-shares since he was selected by the Saints in the first round of the 2011 draft, and while he has ceded reps to breakout rookie back Alvin Kamara in 2017, he has still managed to keep himself among the top of the league’s running back rankings. The 27-year-old has the most rushing yards in the NFL since Week 5 (636), the most yards from scrimmage in the league since Week 6 (724) and the most rushing touchdowns since Week 2 (eight). His eight rushing scores are are tied for first in the league, and he is fourth in the league with 806 rushing yards and fourth among running backs with 1,019 yards from scrimmage. So, while a first-team All-Pro nod might be a bit of a stretch right now, it may not be if he continues at his current pace.
If Ingram were to become a free agent at the end of the season, he would join Carlos Hyde as one of the top two free agent running backs (assuming the Steelers do not let Le’Veon Bell hit the open market). While running backs have had a tough go of it in free agency in recent years, Ingram would assuredly earn more than the $4MM he is currently set to make in 2018. Barring injury, he will go over 1,000 rushing yards for the second straight year, and he is a quality receiver out of the backfield.
Assuming the Saints re-sign Drew Brees in the offseason, they may not have enough cap space to bring Ingram back if he becomes a free agent, and they would likely give Kamara a larger role under that scenario. Again, this is all just a hypothetical discussion right now, but it will be an interesting situation to monitor down the stretch.
Certainly Drew Brees now understands what a 25million dollar cap hit does to a team. At age 40, and at least some level of decline, he can now take a hometown discount so his team can have more money to contend. Wouldn’t you guys think? I understand money talks, but he makes and will continue to make a ton in endorsements. And he won’t get another 25+mil payday. 17/18 sounds about right. But it would be nice if he took somewhere around 12/13m and gave Loomis some play money!