It’s no secret that through the first half of the 2021 NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs defense struggled. They were allowing yards and points at a rate that had them ranked as one of the worst teams in the league. It looked as if that would be the team’s fatal flaw throughout the season.
The team addressed the issue by trading for a 32-year-old Melvin Ingram, who chose to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers after having visited Kansas City during the offseason as a free agent. Ingram had just 18 pressures in seven games played with the Steelers, and he didn’t particularly look like a game-changer coming to the Chiefs.
As it turns out, he was the catalyst for a turnaround on the defensive side of the ball that would help bring about an eight-game winning streak. It wasn’t just a matter of on-field production for Ingram, though. He brought something intangible to the table that Chiefs players like Travis Kelce knew he had from years of facing him when he played with the Chargers.
“I think it was my first seven-eight years playing, I had to get him at least twice a year,” Kelce said. “But man, I’m glad he’s on our team, I’ll tell you that much. He just has the entire package. I said it when he came here, any time you add a ‘Juice Man’ or just an ultimate competitor like him, it doesn’t matter what spot you put that guy in, he’s got a great feel of being a competitor and just playing with teammates. That’s why he fit the mold so perfectly when he got here. Both his energy on the field and who he is on the field as a playmaker. It was just the perfect match. I’m definitely glad to have him here and not having to go against him twice a year.”
The late-great Terez Paylor used the term “Juice” to describe a player who “has the goods.” It’s the effort, leadership, energy and impact that a player brings, and in the case of Melvin Ingram, it can simply be described as infectious.
“The ‘Swag Champ’ man, when you bring a guy with that much ‘Juice’ and that much swagger about himself, a perennial all-star, I mean that makes everybody play better,” Kelce continued. “You saw it immediately, how much more fun the guys were having. Not that we weren’t on the track to getting better. We had a lot of guys figuring it out both offensively and defensively. But sure enough, when he came in, everybody started clicking even more.”
The Chiefs have certainly seen the “Juice” from Ingram countless times since he was added to the team. It’s the type of relentless effort that Kansas City hasn’t had since Tamba Hali was chasing down quarterbacks with a half-pint of blood dripping down his face. Fans saw it as recently as the Week 18 game in Denver, when Ingram willed a strip-sack of Broncos RB Melvin Gordon in a key moment of the game.
We could watch this play by @melviningram and @_nickbolton2 all day long 🤩 pic.twitter.com/jbO2bPCDZ8
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 10, 2022
“Yeah, I mean he’s definitely a leader,” Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes said of Ingram. “He’s a vet, he’s someone that understands how to play the game and play it the right way. He’s a mismatch out there. He’s just as good against the run as he is against the pass. He can play every single down; he can go out there and play with his presence and kind of bring everybody along. He’s been a great addition to the defensive line room.”
As the Chiefs prepare to face the Steelers in the wild-card round of the playoffs, Ingram will get a second chance to go against his one-time former team. Kansas City won’t just be looking to him for sack production, but they’ll look for him to provide “Juice” in a game where they’re sure to need every ounce of it.
“He’s done a nice job for us,” Chiefs HC Andy Reid said on Ingram. “Every situation is different. He’s come here and he’s added some good senior leadership to the defense, along with the other good leaders that we have. It’s worked out well for him and we’re glad we have him.”
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