Former Alabama running back Mark Ingram has not hung up his cleats just yet.

Ingram, who currently is a member of FOX Sports’ “Big Noon Kickoff”, is not opposed to playing in the NFL for the 2023 season.

He said during an appearance on “The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast” that his decision to go into media and leave the NFL after 12 seasons came down to weighing three years instead of 20 years. He also insisted that he could have “100 percent” kept playing.

“If I do play, let’s say I play another one year, two years, God willing tops maybe three,” Ingram said on the podcast. “That’s still not that long. And in the grand scheme of things, this is an opportunity where I can get in the door with a great network with a great position on a desk at a premier college football show and be able to grow in the industry, continue to improve, continue to get better and, hopefully, be able to do this career for 20, 30 years. So it was kind of like a decision like that, and it all just kind of fell into position for me at the perfect moment, and that’s the blessing of it.”

Ingram has his own standards as far as who he is looking to play for.

“I’m in a position 12 years into my career, I don’t want to go play for a team that’s going to win six games or seven games,” Ingram said. “If you’re a true legit contender, go ahead and give me a shout, give me a call, I’ll listen, but that wasn’t the case. What was happening in my free agency, there were some good teams that called, but nothing I was ready to jump at, nothing that was making sense for the team or me at the moment.”

He noted he could join an NFL team for a playoff run after his FOX duties wrap up for the season.

“I didn’t officially retire,” Ingram said. “I didn’t say to the Saints, ‘I’m retiring.’ I didn’t say to the Ravens, ‘I’m retiring.’ I didn’t say to the NFL, ‘I’m retiring.’ But everyone’s under that assumption because I took this job with ‘Big Noon.’ I am super contend with my job, and I’m looking forward to my job, and I have every obligation and intention of fulfilling my job because I’m excited about it.

“But we’re done in like the first week in December, so if some team is having trouble and my ‘Big Noon’ schedule’s over and you need a ballplayer for a legit run at the playoffs, you got three full regular season (games) left and a playoff run, I’m the man for you.”

It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Ingram, and if he does indeed return to an NFL football field sooner rather than later.

Ingram finished out last season with 233 rushing yards and 1 touchdown on 62 carries. He also caught 16 passes for 68 yards in 10 games for the New Orleans Saints.

[H/T AL.com]