Mark Ingram earned a Pro Bowl in 2019 as the Baltimore Ravens rushed their way to a 14-2 record and home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs.
In 2020, Ingram had a paltry 72 carries for 299 yards and two touchdowns through 11 games, nine of which he started. It was the fewest carries and yards of his career.
Ingram seeks to rejuvenate his career at 31 years old and on his third NFL team.
“Yeah, that was bad how that ended,” Ingram told Houston reporters on a Zoom call March 31. “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.”
Ingram says the lack of games played is a “blessing in disguise” as he starts his next chapter in Houston.
“I feel super healthy,” said Ingram. “I feel super explosive. I’m springy right now. I feel like I’m going into this off season healthier than I have in the past few offseasons. Just my body feels great. I’ve been training, I’ve been working and my body feels great. I’m running around good and moving good, so I’m just excited I can get a great, strong offseason of working and training and taking care of my body to put my best foot forward.”
Ingram will be part of a three-man backfield that features former All-Pro David Johnson and Pro Bowler Phillip Lindsay, who was previously with the Denver Broncos.
Said Ingram: “I still feel like I can play my best football. I feel like my best football is still ahead of me. Unless you look at my birth certificate, you can’t tell that I’m 31 years old by the way I play, by the way I run, by the way I move. I feel like my game still has a lot left in the tank and I’m excited to go out there and prove that.”
Ingram has familiarity with the Texans already in that the new coach, David Culley, was the receivers coach and passing game coordinator for the Ravens from 2019-20.