When former Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Melvin Ingram was reportedly signed with the Miami Dolphins, the initial report said he was signing a one-year contract worth $5 million.
We have now a breakdown of the agreement of ESPN Yates Estate.
Melvin Ingram’s deal with the Dolphins:
– Signing bonus of $1.65M
– Base salary of $1.67M
– $680,000 bonus per game ($40,000/game)
– $250,000 Pro Bowl Bonus
– Up to $750,000 in game time/sack and team defense bonuses
– Maximum charge: $3.92M— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 19, 2022
Those numbers add up to $5 million for 2022, with anything between $1.7 and $3.9 million guaranteed. But this year’s salary cap charge of $3.9 million means that $1.1 million of the various incentives are considered. unlikely-to-be-won (NLTBE) in 2022. If Ingram meets them all, he will earn an additional $1.1 million – but that money will count towards Miami’s 2023 salary cap.
So that begs an important question: If the unrestricted free agent contract offer the Chiefs made to Ingram was $4.4 million – which has been widely reported to be the case – then why was it? signed a deal with Miami for less guaranteed money?
It’s possible that Ingram — like former Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill — preferred to play in Florida, which has a lower income tax rate. (It is important to note that NFL players must pay state income taxes for every game they play in other states. So even if playing in a state with a lower tax rate allows them to keep more of their money from home games, the tax they actually pay depends on the NFL schedule).
It’s also possible that Ingram preferred to play in a 3-4 defense similar to the one he played in his nine seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers rather than revert to Kansas City’s 4-3 defense – where he might have wasted playing time for first-round rookie defensive end George Karlaftis.
But what seems more likely is that despite multiple reports, Kansas City’s takeover bid was nowhere near $4.4 million.
Under Article 9(b) of the 2020 collective bargaining agreement, Kansas City’s minimum contract offer was actually just $1.8 million, based on 110% of his 1-year base salary. $.1 million and a prorated signing bonus of $585,000 starting in 2021. The rest of the $4 million Ingram was paid last season was the remaining portion of his $2.9 million signing bonus dollars, which was spread over four void contract years from 2022 to 2025. After trading Ingram to Kansas City, the remainder of that signing bonus ($2.3 million) accelerated into the cap calculation. Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022.
It’s possible the Chiefs’ takeover bid was for more than $1.8 million – and may be even could have been as high as the $4.4 million that was reported. But that is not how these reports were written. They said the tender was based on “110% of Ingram’s $4 million salary.”
Plus…if that had been the case, why didn’t Ingram accept that bid when he was offered the day after the draft, guaranteeing himself a bigger salary without NLTBE incentives?
What may have happened is that there was a calculation of Kansas City’s minimum contract offer without a thorough check of Ingram’s 2021 contract structure. But now it’s all water under the bridge.
The Chiefs were hoping to get Ingram back cheaply. It did not work. But thanks to the UFA contract offer they made on the defensive end, he is now eligible to be included in the 2023 compensatory pick calculations — which could lead to Kansas City picking another draft pick.