Thursday 15 June 2017 14:37, UK
Pass rusher Melvin Ingram has agreed to a four-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers, avoiding a protracted contract dispute shortly before the opening of minicamp.
The Chargers announced the deal on Sunday, which will reportedly see Ingram $66m (£53m) over the four years, with $42m (£34m) in guaranteed money.
The deal is similar to the five-year, $82.5m (£66m) deal signed by Arizona Cardinals pass rusher Chandler Jones in March, with players earning an average of $16.5m (£14m) per season.
Ingram has skipped the Chargers' voluntary offseason workouts while negotiating a new contract. Los Angeles applied the non-exclusive franchise tag to Ingram in February, but kept working on a long-term deal.
The 28-year-old has been one of the NFL's top edge rushers in recent seasons, recording 18 sacks in the past two years. He is expected to be a key contributor to new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley's 4-3 scheme as a bookend with defensive end Joey Bosa.
The Chargers had until July 15 to reach agreement on a multi-year deal, otherwise Ingram would have had to play out the season under the franchise tag.
Ingram is the fourth of the seven players who received a franchise tag in 2017 to sign a long-term extension, joining Jones, Kawann Short, who received a five-year, $80m (£64m) deal from the Carolina Panthers, and Jason Pierre-Paul, who got a four-year, $62m (£49m) deal from the New York Giants.
Cornerback Trumaine Johnson (Los Angeles Rams), running back Le'Veon Bell (Pittsburgh Steelers), and quarterback Kirk Cousins (Washington Redskins) have yet to agree contract extensions.
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