Mark Ingram is back where it all began. The veteran running back was acquired by the New Orleans Saints -- the team that drafted him back in 2011 and spent seven seasons with -- on Wednesday in a trade with the Houston Texans. While Ingram won't practice with the Saints until Friday, it doesn't look like he'll have to wait too long to slip on the black and gold jersey once again.
While speaking to reporters Thursday after the trade was agreed upon, head coach Sean Payton said there is a "high chance" Ingram plays in Week 8 when the Saints host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Caesars Sueperdome.
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Payton also pulled back the curtain as to how this reunion came to be. He noted that Saint star running back Alvin Kamara -- who played with Ingram for two seasons in New Orleans -- mentioned to Payton that bringing back Ingram could be an option for the team, especially as the backfield has suffered a number of injuries.
"(Ingram) can't (reach out to me), and he didn't," Payton said, via the official team website. "But his little partner in crime did."
New Orleans released veteran Latavius Murray back on Sept. 7, which put Tony Jones Jr. in line for a bigger role behind Kamara. However, Jones was injured Oct. 3 and placed on injured reserve. Since then, they've alternated bodies as the complimentary back to Kamara, but a move for Ingram not only brings familiarity but some stability as well.
Payton added that the conversations about bringing Ingram back really intensified between him and general manager Mickey Loomis in Seattle.
"A player like (Ingram), sometimes it's hard to gauge if a team has any interest," Payton said. "Mickey and I talked about it in Seattle, we felt it was worth calling and just kind of poking around. Alvin and he obviously are real close, and once that momentum began -- I was still somewhat skeptical, just relative to the role he was playing for them. And (Wednesday), kind of went back and forth and fortunately, we were able to work something out. His plane landed. He won't be able to practice (Thursday), he'll be able to practice (Friday)."
For the Texans this season, Ingram has totaled 294 yards
