HOUSTON – Ed Ingram contemplated his future, trusting his instincts, the coaching he received this past year and the advice of those closest to him.
When Ingram made the decision to stay with the Texans on a three-year, $37.5 million contract that includes a $13.75 million signing bonus and $23.5 million total guaranteed, it wasn’t solely about the money.
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It was about how the 27-year-old fit into the Texans’ locker room and wanting to continue the arc of improvement he launched last season after a trade from the Minnesota Vikings. He wanted to finish what he started as he emerged as one of the highest graded offensive guards in the league.
Obviously, there was a lot of money available to Ingram in all likelihood on the open NFL marketplace. Instead of testing free agent, though, Ingram wanted to be in Houston. And now he’s back with the team going forward as a cornerstone of an offensive line coached by Cole Popovich.
Ingram is getting married in five days, and he wanted to remain in Texas. Now, Ingram is back along with former Pro Bowl offensive tackle Trent Brown on a one-year, $7 million deal, second-year left tackle Aireontae Ersery and center Jake Andrews. The Texans traded their top offensive lineman Tytus Howard to the Cleveland Browns.
“I really like it here,” Ingram told KPRC 2 after finalizing his deal. “I fit into the system. Thinking about the future, I would like to start my family here. I feel like us keeping most of our guys together creates that cohesiveness and we can continue to stack what we did in our first year here playing for Cole Popovich.
“The culture here is second to none. The whole reason I got paid is I locked in for a year and Cole he challenges us every day. He doesn’t let us get complacent.”
The contract was negotiated by Nicole Lynn of Klutch Sports.
The deal averages $12.5 million, ranking him in the top 20 among all guards. The deal includes $20 million fully guaranteed at signing and a full $23.5 million guaranteed by March of 2027.
Obviously, things didn’t go the way Ingram and the Vikings had hoped for when Minnesota drafted the second-team All-Southeastern Conference selection in the second round out of LSU four years ago. He lost his starting job two seasons ago.
Being traded to the Texans in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick has provided a significant boost to Ingram. A return to Texas has given Ingram and the Texans a shot in the arm.
“I just feel like when I got traded Nicole set me up in the best possible position, making a new start for myself, a new name,” Ingram said. “Minnesota was a great stepping stone into another great program. It’s a huge tribute to how I played was the offensive line coach.
“I improved. We can continue to stack what we did the first year under Cole Popovich. Imagine what he can do with us next season.”
Ingram definitely made the most out of his change of scenery after being traded to the Texans last year.
Now, Ingram is back with the Texans on a new contract he earned with his physical style of play. Ingram agreed to a three-year, $37.5 million contract with $23.5 million guaranteed late Sunday night.
“My agent had talked to them multiple times,” Ingram said. “Shoutout to Nicole Lynn. She gets people paid. Look at the Jalen Hurts deal. I knew once I hit the Free agency market she would get it done.”
Keeping Ingram along with former Pro Bowl offensive tackle Trent Brown adds continuity to the offensive line after trading top offensive lineman Tytus Howard to the Cleveland Browns. The Texans also traded for running back David Montgomery.
At the NFL scouting combine, general manager Nick Caserio signaled that Ingram would be a negotiating priority. There were times when there was doubt that Ingram would stay largely because of the Texans’ salary-cap situation, but they created enough financial flexibility with restructures for Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre and extensions for Danielle Hunter and Dalton Schultz.
“Ed had a great year,” Caserio said in late February. “Honestly, he probably had the best year of his career. For the most part, he was out there. He missed a couple games there with injuries. But he’s a good kid. He’s strong. He’s physical. He plays violent in the running game. You saw that on tape quite a bit. Pretty good in pass protection.
“We’re working through that process right now. We’ll have discussion with him and his representatives. We’ll see how far he goes. But I’m glad he was here. He’s a player that we feel benefited from our program. Honestly, sometimes a change in scenery is good. It probably worked out for him and worked out for us as well. I’m glad Ed was on the team here this year.”
Ingram was, early in the season, the second-highest rated run blocking guard in the league behind only Indianapolis Colts All-Pro offensive guard Quenton Nelson. Ingram had a 86.1 run blocking grade through the first month of the NFL season, according to Pro Football Focus analytics, behind only Nelson at 90.1. Ingram, a former second-round draft pick from LSU, had the 12th lowest pressure rate allowed (6.4 percent) among all offensive guards, per Next Gen Stats
“I feel like personally that’s been like a big thing for me,” Ingram told KPRC 2 during the season. “I feel like when I was in Minnesota I loved it up there, they treated me right. Then, I feel like it’s just it was time for me to leave and I feel like being here is like the new start that I needed. I feel like I’m respected here and I’m valued as a player and I just love this team."
Ingram showed flashes with the Vikings, but never achieved this standard of consistency.
He played like a man with something to prove.
“Ed has done a pretty good job,” Caserio said during the season. “He has played really good football. Sometimes, a change of scenery is good for everybody involved in that situation.
“He’s played good football. He is one of the top-ranked guards in the league, something ridiculous. I’m not saying he is the best guard in the league. He has played good football.”
Operating in offensive coordinator Nick Caley’s scheme that emphasizes power gap blocking elements after playing in primarily zone concepts with the Vikings, Ingram thrived.
He attributed a lot of his improvement to Popovich, a Dante Scarneccia protege previously with the New England Patriots.
“I feel like nothing really changed,” Ingram said. “We’re just kind of being more intentional in our techniques and going back to our fundamentals. I feel like our coach, Cole Popovich, has been really hitting on going back to the fundamentals and attacking the basics. In order to be a good offensive line, you gotta be good at the fundamentals and the basics and that’s what we’ve really been focusing on.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com