5 reasons that the Steelers signing Ingram was a wrong move

What will his role be with the Steelers?

This is one of the biggest concerns I have with the Steelers going after such an established name as Ingram. Before this move, Alex Highsmith was seen as the unquestioned starter given his good rookie season and lack of options around him. Assuming he is the starter then the number three edge rusher is expected to play about ten percent of the defensive snaps and see most of their playing time on special teams.

Ingram certainly won’t be carving out a niche as a special team’s ace at this point (he has only played more than 20 percent of the snaps there once, that being his rookie season). This means that he needs to be comfortable seeing only 100-200 total defensive snaps in 2021 as a true rotational edge rusher. Sure, injuries could force him to be on the field more often, but assuming the starters stay healthy, Ingram is facing a season in which he would play the least number of snaps since 2013.

On the flip side, and seemingly to more likely reason he was brought in, he will be in a rotation with Highsmith to some extent. For a team trying to find a youthful core to build around once Ben Roethlisberger retires though, is this really the right move? It could stunt the growth of the young edge rushers this season. I find it hard to believe that Ingram is willing to play such a small role for the Steelers. That means the development of some of the younger players could be lost.