Saints running back Mark Ingram is set to become a free agent in March, but hopes his time in New Orleans doesn't end after this playoff run.
"I'm not looking just to leave New Orleans," Ingram said Monday, via The Times-Picayune. "I'm not looking just to up and leave New Orleans. My squad, you know we got a good squad. I feel like we could do this type of thing for many more years. I'm not looking just to bail out of New Orleans."
Paired with Alvin Kamara the past two seasons, Ingram has brought the thunder to the Saints backfield. The duo has become the motor behind the New Orleans offense, which has Ingram on the precipice of his first Super Bowl appearance.
"I was drafted here. I met my wife here. My children were born here," Ingram said. "Very rarely does anybody get to spend their career in one place. I love New Orleans. I love this team. I love this organization, so we'll see. We'll see what happens. I hope we win a Super Bowl and hopefully everything works out. It's a business, and I hope everything works out. I love it here."
Ingram turned 29 in December and is likely looking at his last chance at a payday after playing out a four-year, $16 million contract signed in 2015.
The Saints could decide to move on and give Kamara a bigger role or dip back into the draft to find a cheaper option.
If Ingram wants to stay in New Orleans, he might have to give the team a discount, which is something a soon-to-be 30-year-old running back might find tough to swallow.
