PITTSBURGH — Steelers outside linebacker Melvin Ingram III is on the move.
The Steelers traded Ingram to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a sixth-round pick ahead of the trade deadline, the teams announced Tuesday.
Ingram, a former Pro Bowler who spent nine seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, signed a one-year deal with the Steelers before training camp as a rotational outside linebacker, but recently expressed frustration over his role after playing just 26% of snaps against the Seattle Seahawks.
Ingram, who didn’t practice last week or travel to the Steelers’ game in Cleveland because of a groin injury, finishes his brief career in Pittsburgh with one sack and 10 tackles. Ingram’s limited role speaks to the Steelers’ confidence in second-year outside linebacker Alex Highsmith, who has 1.5 sacks and 25 tackles this season.
The Chiefs have just 11 sacks in eight games, the second-lowest total in the league.
The New York Jets bolstered their offensive line depth at the trade deadline, acquiring right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif from the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs received backup tight end and special-teamer Daniel Brown in the deal. Both players will be free agents after the season.
Duvernay-Tardif, 30, started for the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV after the 2019 season, but hasn’t played a game since that Super Bowl. He was active for the first time this season Monday night against the New York Giants, but saw no action.
A medical school graduate, Duvernay-Tardif became the first NFL player to opt out last season because of COVID-19 reasons. He opted to continue working at a long-term care facility near his home in Montreal, Quebec.
He returned to the Chiefs this summer for training camp, but injured a hand and missed the preseason. By the time he was healthy, he had been replaced in the lineup by rookie Trey Smith. He was a healthy scratch for the first seven games.