Melvin Ingram doesn't rip Steelers but admits his situation 'wasn't what I thought it was going to be'

Melvin Ingram has arrived in Kansas City. And he’s already practicing with the Chiefs.

Boy, amazing how quickly that groin injury healed, huh?

The Pittsburgh Steelers shipped the disgruntled linebacker to K.C. in a trade for a sixth-round pick Tuesday afternoon.

Ingram visited with the Chiefs this offseason before eventually signing with the Steelers. He was asked by media members who cover the Chiefs why he decided to sign in Pittsburgh.

“I don’t know, I guess God always (has) a plan and he brings you where he wants to bring you, when he wants to bring you. So, I just feel like he had a plan for me,” Ingram said.

Well, it would’ve been nice if the Man upstairs had clued the Steelers in on that plan, because then maybe they would have pursued Justin Houston or someone else a little more than Ingram.

Ingram was also asked if he was surprised that the Steelers were willing to deal him to another AFC playoff contender.

“Not really. I just feel like they sent me where they wanted to send me and that’s cool,” Ingram replied.

Hmmm. Well, that makes one of us who isn’t surprised. I still don’t know why the Steelers didn’t just pay Ingram and tell him to stay home. I’d rather see them fight the players union — if it came to that — than help a team they are going to play later in the season and may battle for a playoff spot.

Finally, Ingram was asked to “describe his situation” in Pittsburgh.

“My situation was kind of different,” Ingram said. “It wasn’t what I thought it was going to be, but it’s good. … I respect all those guys, I respect coach (Mike) Tomlin, all coaches, I respect all the players. It was definitely a blessing just to be there with those guys. I can’t sit here and downplay that in no way, shape or form. It was definitely a blessing to be there.”

Maybe I can describe it a little bit more directly.

Ingram signed here thinking he was better than Alex Highsmith. And he assumed that, regardless of what he may (or may not) have been promised in terms of playing time, eventually the coaches would see that and give him more snaps than Highsmith.

Early in the season, Highsmith wasn’t playing great (in part due to an actual groin injury). Ingram thought he had made his case. The coaches obviously disagreed based on how Highsmith remained the starter and primary right outside linebacker opposite T.J. Watt. Then Ingram started to sulk and asked for a trade.

That’s probably a more thorough description of Ingram’s situation in Pittsburgh.

That’s also just my interpretation of it. If Ingram wants to stick with “God’s plan,” I suppose it’s his choice. That way, no one can accuse him of burning bridges on the way out of town.

At least, not through the media anyway. After the way guys such as Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown left, that’s actually a welcomed change.

But, hey, it’s Pittsburgh, Melvin. We’ve got plenty of bridges to spare. So, if you want to revisit this topic, say, oh, I dunno, maybe sometime before the Steelers visit Kansas City on Dec. 26, just let us know.

There’s nothing a sports columnist likes more than a juicy quote or two in their Christmas stocking so they can bang out a quick column during a holiday week.