New Orleans Saints legend Mark Ingram stopped by New Orleans to take part in all the Super Bowl LIX festivities and stopped by the Saints Podcast to get on his soap box about the value of running backs, as well as talk about the city he played football in for 10 years and his career in broadcasting.
Ingram railed against the league-wide trend of decreasing the investment in the running back position urging teams to "pay the damn running backs."
"You have to be able to run the ball. You have to be able to catch the ball. You have to be able to block. You have to do everything," he said. "And who doesn't love a running back? The only person who doesn't love running back is the people that are paying running back."
Ingram implored teams to evaluate running backs on their performance.
"It doesn't matter his age. It doesn't matter how many carries he's had. Like if he's a great player and an asset and offensive weapon, pay him like that. And I'm thinking that you're seeing that with Saquon (Barkley). The Giants let him walk. You're seeing that with Derek (Henry). He came from Tennessee. You're seeing that would Joe Mixon. The Bengals let him walk.
"You're seeing these players go other places and be an asset to other organizations, because you made a poor decision on evaluating their running backs for whatever reason. So, I'm glad that they're holding up the running backs standard and I'm hoping that front offices end up paying backs what they're worth," Ingram said.
Ingram also said he's also excited about the running back prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft.
As for the Saints own running back and Ingram's former teammate, Alvin Kamara set a career high in rushing yards with 950 yards, falling 50 yards short of his first 1,000-yard rushing season after missing the final three games.
"I think it doesn't matter, but it matters," Ingram said. "You want that 1,000-yard season, especially a back of his caliber and the accolades he's had, to never had a 1,000-yard season. It's whatever, you know? I mean, he's had over 1,500-yard scrimmage yards almost every year, his entire career.
"So, I mean it's all relative. But at the end of the day, as a running back, like that's kind of a benchmark that you kind of want. So, I know he wanted it, but everyone knows Alvin Kamara is one of the top five running backs in the game still."
In his post-playing career, Ingram has kept himself involved in football working as a college football analyst for Fox Sports' "Big Noon Kickoff" show.
"I'm fortunate I haven't worked a day in my life," he said. "So, I was able to play football for a living and now I'm able to watch football and talk football for a living. I go to the best games, I go to different campuses, stuff that I would do anyways, and now it's my job and it's fun. I'm essentially going to a football party every Saturday."
Ingram said the job still leaves him time for his family and to be a soccer dad. He also spoke on what it meant to return to the city he spent 10 years of his professional career.
"It's just a special place to me," he said. "Obviously getting drafted here, spending 10 years of my life here and the relationships I've developed here, good memories, food, fun, everything. It's just always good to come back and see people that I have developed the friendships and relationships with for a lifetime. Always good to come back and enjoy the city that's one of one. There's nothing like New Orleans, the culture, the food, the drinks, everything, just the music. New Orleans is one of one. There's no place like it and it's always great to come back, especially just because of what it's meant to me and my life."
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experiences from radio row with team reporters Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center from Monday, February 3 through Friday, February 7, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as NFL host Lindsay Rhodes joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the New Orleans Saints Podcast on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as NFL host Lindsay Rhodes joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the New Orleans Saints Podcast on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as NFL host Lindsay Rhodes joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the New Orleans Saints Podcast on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as former Tulane linebacker Sam Bruchhas joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the New Orleans Saints Podcast on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as former Tulane linebacker Sam Bruchhas joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the New Orleans Saints Podcast on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center as Sam Bruchhas, former Tulane linebacker, joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the Saints Podcast on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as NFL analyst Solomon Wilcots joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the New Orleans Saints Podcast on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as NFL analyst Solomon Wilcots joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the New Orleans Saints Podcast on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as NFL analyst Solomon Wilcots joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the New Orleans Saints Podcast on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as former Saints and LSU football player Marlon Favorite joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the Saints Podcast on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as former Saints and LSU football player Marlon Favorite joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the Saints Podcast on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as former Saints and LSU football player Marlon Favorite joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the Saints Podcast on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as Saints legend Thomas Morstead joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the Saints Podcast on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as Saints legend Thomas Morstead joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the Saints Podcast on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as Saints legend Thomas Morstead joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the Saints Podcast on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as former Saints coach Curtis Johnson joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the Saints Podcast on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as former Saints coach Curtis Johnson joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the Saints Podcast on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as former Saints coach Curtis Johnson joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the Saints Podcast on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as Saints legend Danny Wuerffel joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the Saints Podcast on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as Saints legend Danny Wuerffel joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the Saints Podcast on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as Saints legend Danny Wuerffel joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the Saints Podcast on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as Saints legend Mark Ingram II joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the Saints Podcast on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as Saints legend Mark Ingram II joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the Saints Podcast on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as Saints legend Roman Harper joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the Saints Podcast on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as Saints legend Roman Harper joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the Saints Podcast on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as NFL analyst Mike Tannenbaum joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the Saints Podcast on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as NFL analyst Mike Tannenbaum joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the Saints Podcast on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as NFL analyst Mike Tannenbaum joins Erin Summers and Gus Kattengell on the Saints Podcast on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.
New Orleans Saints legends Drew Brees and Reggie Bush joined the Super Bowl LIX media experience at radio row on February 6, 2025.
New Orleans Saints legends Drew Brees and Reggie Bush joined the Super Bowl LIX media experience at radio row on February 6, 2025.
New Orleans Saints legends Drew Brees and Reggie Bush joined the Super Bowl LIX media experience at radio row on February 6, 2025.
New Orleans Saints legends Drew Brees and Reggie Bush joined the Super Bowl LIX media experience at radio row on February 6, 2025.
New Orleans Saints legends Drew Brees and Reggie Bush joined the Super Bowl LIX media experience at radio row on February 6, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row with New Orleans Saints defensive end Cam Jordan at the N. Morial Convention Center from Thursday, February 6, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row with New Orleans Saints defensive end Cam Jordan at the N. Morial Convention Center from Thursday, February 6, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row with New Orleans Saints defensive end Cam Jordan at the N. Morial Convention Center from Thursday, February 6, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row with New Orleans Saints defensive end Cam Jordan at the N. Morial Convention Center from Thursday, February 6, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row with New Orleans Saints players at the N. Morial Convention Center from Thursday, February 6, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row with New Orleans Saints defensive end Carl Granderson at the N. Morial Convention Center from Thursday, February 6, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row with New Orleans Saints defensive end Carl Granderson at the N. Morial Convention Center from Thursday, February 6, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row with New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu at the N. Morial Convention Center from Thursday, February 6, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row with New Orleans Saints quarterback Jake Haener at the N. Morial Convention Center from Thursday, February 6, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row with New Orleans Saints wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. at the N. Morial Convention Center from Thursday, February 6, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row with New Orleans Saints wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr at the N. Morial Convention Center from Thursday, February 6, 2025.
Check out photos from the Super Bowl LIX media experience from radio row with New Orleans Saints Kevin Austin Jr. at the N. Morial Convention Center from Thursday, February 6, 2025.
New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor signed autographs and meet with fans at the Panini Autograph Stage at the Super Bowl Experience at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on Feb. 6, 2025.
