Pittsburgh Steelers just made a really bad trade with the Chiefs
The Pittsburgh Steelers made a really bad choice, helping the Kansas City Chiefs by trading them veteran pass rusher Melvin Ingram.
When in doubt, don’t help the Kansas City Cheifs out. The Pittsburgh Steelers apparently missed that memo.
The Denver Broncos traded away a future Hall of Fame pass rusher on Monday when they shipped Von Miller to the Los Angeles Rams, but at least the Broncos had the decency to trade Miller out of the conference.
The Steelers traded Miller’s good friend Melvin Ingram to the Kansas City Chiefs for just a sixth-round pick.
Pittsburgh Steelers just made a really bad trade with the Chiefs
Melvin Ingram had quietly asked to be traded and Pittsburgh accomodated. Now, he lands in KC, which had held talks with the #Steelers for the last few weeks. https://t.co/csZBBRVD70
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 2, 2021
In six games so far this season for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ingram had 11 hurries, six QB hits, and one sack. He now joins a Kansas City Chiefs defense that has been having enough problems off the edge that interior defensive lineman Chris Jones has been spending some time out there.
Kansas City has been flat-out bad this entire season on defense, and that’s a major reason why they are sitting at 4-4 and on the outside looking in at the 2021 postseason.
With a matchup coming up against the Green Bay Packers, Ingram’s arrival can’t come quick enough for the Chiefs.
Unlike the Chiefs, the Pittsburgh Steelers are currently in line for a playoff spot. If the season ended today, the Steelers would be in.
You can’t fault a team for going out at the trade deadline and getting some value for a player whose snaps were going to decrease, and as Ian Rapoport reported, didn’t want to be there anymore anyway.
The Chiefs probably should have just signed Ingram when they had the chance before the start of the 2021 regular season, even if his impact is not quite what it used to be.
Pass Rush Win Rate at Edge (Rank)
— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) November 2, 2021
T.J. Watt, 28% (2nd)
Alex Highsmith, 23% (9th)
Melvin Ingram, 8% (Would have been 55th if qualified)
Steelers don't lose much by trading Ingram and already have another excellent pass rusher besides Watt.
(ESPN / NFL Next Gen Stats)
Pass rushers are not exactly readily available around the league at this point, but the Chiefs are doing what they can. The Steelers didn’t exactly need Ingram but trading him to the Chiefs?
In the event that it might work out?
That’s not the greatest decision this team could have made as the trade deadline approaches.