Melvin Ingram is on the other side of Chiefs vs. Chargers rivalry

For the first time in 9 years,  defensive end Melvin Ingram will be on the other side of the Chiefs vs. Chargers rivalry on Thursday night. It will also be the first game in which Ingram will be playing against his former teammates.

Ingram was drafted by the Chargers in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft and has been wreaking havoc against the Chiefs for the better part of the last decade as he tallied 8.5 sacks, 18 QB hits, and 15 TFL in his career against Kansas City. However, Ingram was 4-11 against the Chiefs in his time with the Chargers which would indicate that Ingram is now on the better side of the rivalry

Although fans would have appreciated Ingram signing with the Chiefs this offseason, as he was a top target who ended up going to the Pittsburgh Steelers before ultimately being traded to Kansas City at the deadline for a 6th round pick, Ingram still made his way to Kansas City in the end. It’s unfortunate as Ingram could have helped a lot with a struggling pass rush during the first Chiefs-Chargers matchup back in Week 3 in which the K.C. lost by a final score of 30-24.

Melvin Ingram will have some extra motivation for Thursday’s game

Now the pass rush is rolling for Kansas City with a lot of credit to going to Ingram for the turnaround. it’s clear that he has brought new energy to the defensive line and other players such as Frank Clark, Chris Jones, and Jarran Reed all feed off of him and each other’s success. We’ll probably never hear it from anyone of note, but I’m willing to bet Kansas City is the place Ingram always wanted to be.

This upcoming Chiefs vs. Chargers game also just happens to be the biggest one of the season for both teams. The Chiefs are now 9-4 after their slow start and the Chargers sit at 8-5. This game could determine who wins the division and if the Chiefs are truly able to run the table. Given that the Chiefs lost the first matchup, they can’t afford to lose this game, since the Chargers will own any tiebreaker within the AFC West. The Chiefs are also on a quest to recapture the No. 1 seed in the AFC and losing this game would put that seemingly out of reach.

Now, Ingram likely won’t say it publicly as he probably genuinely enjoyed his time with the Chargers, but he’s likely licking his chops to get back at his former team who let the 32-year-old Pro-Bowler walk this past offseason, presumably because they thought he wasn’t worth it anymore at his age. Whether or not a player leaves on bad terms, they still always like to put on against their former team and will use that for extra motivation. Expect no different for Ingram.

It’s no secret that the Chiefs have dominated the Chargers along with the entire AFC West since Andy Reid’s arrival, so one can imagine that Ingram will enjoy finally playing for the Chiefs who have been a headache to everyone else for years.

The Chiefs will need the defense to continue playing the way they have and the pass-rush to continue dominating as they have since the arrival of Ingram to finally put away the Chargers and lock up the division. What better way to do it than have Ingram go off against the team he called his home for the last decade?