Melvin Ingram's tenure in Pittsburgh is coming to a very quick end.
The Steelers traded Ingram to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick prior to Tuesday's trade deadline, just three full months after signing the former Pro Bowler.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was candid when discussing the decision to trade Ingram midway through his only season in Pittsburgh, acknowledging that things "just didn't work out the way we envisioned, the way he envisioned," before once again dropping a familiar line.
“What the team needs is first and foremost,” Tomlin said, via WPXI's Jenna Harner. “But from a team perspective, it’s better to have volunteers than it is to have hostages.”
Tomlin had previously dropped the "hostages" reference when discussing the Steelers' past decisions to part ways with Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell amid both players' public displeasure while speaking to the Athletic in 2019.
Ingram signed a one-year contract with the Steelers in an effort to "beef up the edge," NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on July 19, just prior to the team beginning training camp.
However, the former three-time Pro Bowler only made one start in six games for Pittsburgh, which included just 10 tackles and two tackles for loss.
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