It’s fullback season in South Florida.
The Miami Dolphins are signing former Las Vegas Raiders fullback Alec Ingold, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Ingold, a fan favorite in Las Vegas, tore his ACL in Week 10 of the 2021 season, but Jackson added that Ingold should be ready to go for training camp. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the contract is a two-year deal worth a maximum of $7.5 million. Ingold becomes the second-highest paid fullback in the NFL on a per-year basis behind San Francisco 49ers star Kyle Juszczyk. Juszczyk signed a five-year, $27 million deal ($5.4 million average) with the 49ers last year.
Ingold was signed by the Raiders as an undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin in 2019. He spent three seasons in Oakland/Las Vegas and was heavily utilized as a blocker both in pass protection and on the ground. He was also called upon as a short-yardage option in the running game and as a safety blanket for Derek Carr out of the backfield in the passing game. Over 41 games, Ingold accumulated 28 receptions on 35 targets for 239 yards and three receiving touchdowns. He also carried the rock 15 times for 22 yards in short-yardage situations.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel’s affinity for utilizing fullbacks in his offensive scheme is widely known, as he was a big part of Juszczyk’s rise to stardom in San Francisco where McDaniel was run game coordinator from 2017 to 2020 and offensive coordinator in 2021. Juszczyk is arguably one of the most important cogs in the 49ers’ offensive machine. He routinely paves the way for the likes of Deebo Samuel and head coach Kyle Shanhan’s rotating armada of running backs. It’s unlikely that any fullback in the NFL will match Juszczyk’s production, but Ingold showed enough in Las Vegas to make Miami fans excited about what McDaniel may be able to draw up with his newest free agency prize.
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