Mark Ingram wants to keep going, at age 33
Running back Mark Ingram won the Heisman Trophy in 2009 and became a first-round draft pick in 2011.
Now 33, he hopes to continue his NFL career.
In an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show, via AL.com, Ingram said Monday that he plans to keep going. And he attributes his longevity to reduced wear and tear, thanks to sharing touches with other tailbacks.
“Splitting time, splitting backfields has been a blessing,” Ingram said. “But it’s also been frustrating at times because I felt like on several occasions or had I had the opportunity to be a feature guy, a bell cow, knowing I wake up Sunday knowing I’m going to get 20 touches, I think that’s a little different. But I don’t have any regrets. Every time, I just try to take advantage of my opportunities, try to take advantage of my role within the offense and maximize my touches any time I had the opportunity to touch the ball.
“I think sharing backfields, I think not getting overloaded with 300 carries a season for like five or six seasons in a row, I think that has helped me make it to Year 13 and still have a good body where I feel strong, I feel explosive, I feel like I can contribute and produce at a high level. But also just mentally as well — physical, emotionally, all that. That’s why I think I still have that drive and that hunger and desire and I think that has something to do with me sharing the ball, splitting time, even in college.”
Ingram had only 62 carries for 233 yards in 2022 with the Saints. His most recent 1,000-yard season came in 2019, a Pro Bowl year with the Ravens.
He has 8,111 career rushing yards, 50th on the NFL’s all-time list. He needs only 56 yards to catch Maurice Jones-Drew, and another five after that to match Priest Holmes.
Whether Ingram gets an opportunity to do that remains to be seen. At this point, teams may wait for the draft and its aftermath before signing running backs on the wrong side of 30.
Mark Ingram wants to keep going, at age 33 originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
