Melvin Ingram learned from Chargers vets. He’s now in LA as the Dolphins’ elder statesman

In the waning moments of the Dolphins’ Week 3 win over the Buffalo Bills in September, Melvin Ingram was barreling down on quarterback Josh Allen with intentions of bringing him to the ground and punctuating one of Miami’s biggest wins of the season.

But Allen escaped his grasp and flipped a pass to wideout Isiah McKenzie with 13 seconds remaining. As McKenzie scrambled to the sideline, Ingram wasn’t too far behind. He tackled the receiver in bounds and the Bills frantically rushed to the line of scrimmage but couldn’t spike the ball with time remaining.

In the aftermath of the victory, Ingram’s hustle didn’t go unnoticed by defensive lineman Christian Wilkins.

“You can’t tell me nothing bad about Melvin Ingram ever in life,” he said after the game. “After seeing what he did on the last play, he has the ultimate respect. An 11-year pro beating a rusher, missing a sack, then making a play 10, 15, 20 yards down the field, that’s just a dawg mentality. That’s leadership. That’s ‘want-to.’ That’s will.”

The 33-year-old Ingram has found a knack for making plays when the Dolphins need it the most, whether it’s his chase-down tackle against the Bills or registering a sack to get the defense on the field in key moments.

And as Ingram returns to Los Angeles for Sunday night’s game against the Chargers, a franchise for whom he starred over years, Ingram has remained a reliable leader on and off the field for a Dolphins team in the midst of a playoff push.

“It’s a blessing to be [in Los Angeles],” he said Thursday. “And to come back to where it all started, man, words can’t even explain it.”

For nine seasons, Ingram was a standout pass rusher in San Diego and then Los Angeles after the Chargers relocated. He was named to three straight Pro Bowls from 2017 to 2019 and registered 49 sacks during his tenure. Though his time in Los Angeles ended after the 2020 season following a series of injuries, he expressed gratitude for his time with the franchise.

“My favorite part as a Charger was getting drafted,” he said, “because it changed my life forever for the better. And I’m forever grateful for that.”

Ingram signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers before the 2021 season and later joined the Kansas City Chiefs for their playoff run after a midseason trade. Though the raw numbers didn’t show it, Ingram remained an impactful pass rusher in his 10th year.

Weeks before training camp started in the summer, the Dolphins signed Ingram to a one-year deal, adding the veteran to a defense full of up-and-comers.

Though the Dolphins’ pass rush was expected to be led by defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, fresh off a new contract, and second-year player Jaelan Phillips, it was Ingram who proved to be Miami’s most disruptive rusher in the first month of the season.

Ingram, who leads the team with six sacks, was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month for September. He’s registered a sack in four straight games.

When asked if he always felt he was playing at a high level, even when the sacks weren’t coming last season, Ingram smirked.

“Always,” he said.

With Ogbah’s season-ending triceps injury, the Dolphins have turned to a pass-rush group that includes Ingram, Phillips and Bradley Chubb, all of whom can rush from multiple spots on the defensive line.

“We all understand football and we all rush the passer,” Ingram said, “so building the chemistry, the chemistry was really together. We all play off each other and it’s been amazing.”

For the Dolphins, whose defense has been on an upward trajectory in recent weeks, Ingram has not only been a sturdy defender against the run and pass but a savvy player after over a decade in the league.

“There’s going to be things that he does and knows and understands that, really, you don’t coach,” said defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, who likened Ingram’s presence to cornerback Darrelle Revis when he signed with the New England Patriots for their Super Bowl season in 2014.

Ingram said he found counsel from several veterans early in his career, including Antonio Gates, Philip Rivers and Eric Weddle. He’s now taking on the role of elder statesman on a young and talented defense.

“[We’re] a bunch of young, hungry dogs, man,” Ingram said. “We’re doing whatever it takes, no matter what. We’re going to lay it on the line for our brother because we know our brother is going to lay it on the line for us.”