LA Chargers: Prioritizing the top players that will be free agents in 2021

4. Melvin Ingram

Melvin Ingram is the longest-tenured player on the LA Chargers and that is part of the reason why he is only the fourth-most important player to re-sign after the 2020 season. While he is an integral part of the defense’s identity, his age is going to play a factor in contract negotiations after this season.

Ingram just turned 31 years old, which is pretty old for a defensive end. While he might still be in his prime in the 2020 season, it is unclear how much longer Ingram can be at the top of his game.

And a lot of whether or not the Chargers re-sign Ingram is going to depend on his play this season. If Ingram continues to thrive then I could absolutely see the Chargers looking to sign him to a short, 1-2 year deal. However, that opens the door for a team to sign him to a 3-4 year deal, which I doubt the Chargers would match unless the salary is really small.

If he starts taking a step back then the Chargers might look to bring in someone else altogether. Of course, they could also sign Ingram to a smaller deal as his market would theoretically be smaller, but they likely would still utilize the draft to bring in depth and his potential replacement.

Ingram has been great for the LA Chargers and we will have a better idea of where his career stands after this season. Even if he has another elite season, though, he won’t be any higher than the top three on this list.