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.