While a Pro Bowl selection is certainly an honor, running back Mark Ingram is deserving of even higher praise, like a First-Team All-Pro selection.
Mark Ingram was a slam-dunk Free Agency signing for the Baltimore Ravens for so many different reasons. Ingram epitomized what it means to “Play like a Raven.” Ingram did a lot of gritty, hard-nosed running and made defenders pay for even trying to tackle him. He did it in the box score, on the field, and even in the press conferences, where he was Lamar Jackson’s biggest fan.
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When you find yourself a guy who buys into what you’re all about, you find a way to make him a poster child for your team. That’s precisely what the Baltimore Ravens have made Mark Ingram into. Seriously, the guy talks about the franchise like he’s been a member of it for a decade and has made a massive impact in the fan-base faster than we’ve ever seen before.
Of course, Ingram passes the eye test, too, as his franchise-tying 15 single-season touchdowns would paint the picture of a pretty dang good season. Ingram and Jackson also became members of an exclusive club in 2019 as only the second quarterback/running back duo to each rush for 1,000-yards in the same season (joining Michael Vick and Warrick Dunn).
When players have productive seasons like Ingram just had they’re typically rewarded with Pro Bowl nods; something that Ingram did in fact receive for his 2019 efforts. However, that’s not enough for what he accomplished. No, we’re asking for something much more prestigious: a First-Team All-Pro nod.
This is asking a lot, as the accolade more often than not only goes to two running backs and there were a lot of great individual running back seasons in 2019. The argument for Ingram to receive one of these precious selections is a good one, though…
Just to recap: Mark Ingram has the on-field production, both in the form of numbers and tape, to justify high-praise. Ingram accomplished a historic feat both in Baltimore Ravens franchise history and NFL history as a whole. Ingram also has been a media darling this year for all the right reasons and has been one of the league’s best sources of content (the latter shouldn’t matter, but it does).
It doesn’t matter how you slice Mark Ingram’s 2019 season, he’s got everything you want.
So yeah, I would say Mark Ingram is absolutely deserving of All-Pro praise at a minimum. With what he accomplished in 2019 it seems more than fair to say he could win some First-Team votes, but we’d settle for Second-Team. At the end of the day, Ingram accomplished more than was expected of him and produced big-time numbers. Do the right thing, voters, and give Mark Ingram the First-Team All-Pro nod.
And hey, if you really don’t think he deserves it just go see him by the bank. Big Truss.