Well, the Pittsburgh Steelers aren't getting a Bud Dupree reunion for 2023. All of the Instagram videos, photos and hope from fans came to nothing. It was announced that Dupree has signed a one-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
Graphic from NFL
Former Steelers EDGE Bud Dupree has signed a one-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
The Steelers drafted Dupree in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He gained the admiration and respect of fans when he improved every year he was in the Steel City. He made a dangerous duo with T.J. Watt and had a career-high 11 sacks during the 2019 season. He started the 2020 season off strong and was on track to beat his previous record when he tore his ACL.
Dupree was a bit of a fan favorite and people were sad to see him leave. However, we already had Alex Highsmith making a name for himself and a lot of money going out in Watt's direction.
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Matt Freed
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) is sacked by Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith (56) in the second half.
The ACL injury likely also gave the team pause. As it turned out, the Steelers made the right decision.
Dupree was offered an $82.5 million five-year contract by the Tennessee Titans, with $35 million in guarantees. But the injuries continued to plague him - an abdominal one in 2021 and a hip injury in 2022. They impacted his production and in 22 games in Tennessee, Dupree had seven sacks, three forced fumbles, 35 tackles, and two fumble recoveries.
The Titans clearly felt they were not getting their money's worth and released Dupree in March of this offseason. That saved the Titans $9.35 million in cap space. As soon as rumors of him leaving Tennessee started, Steelers fans immediately started to cheer for his return to Pittsburgh.
Recently, Dupree visited Pittsburgh and posted a video on his Instagram that had fans going wild with excitement. Dupree met with the team and spent time at the facility and left without signing a deal. The speculation began - did they want more medical tests, did Dupree want too much money, etc?
Bud Dupree is in the Burgh #buddupree #steelers #herewego pic.twitter.com/H4wieLR2BI
— matthew luciow (@Luciow1992) March 30, 2023
The Steelers Will See Dupree Return In 2023
According to a tweet by Jeremy Fowler from ESPN, Dupree only wanted a one-year contract and the Steelers were hoping to get him to sign a two-year contract, as is generally their preference.
The Steelers were heavily in the mix on a Bud Dupree deal but Dupree preferred a one-year deal. Steelers prefer two-year deals on contracts of substance. So, Dupree is off to Atlanta, as @ZachKleinWSB said.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 14, 2023
The Falcons have been hard at work this offseason, just like the Steelers, making roster changes and upgrades, particularly to their defense. They also picked up cornerback Jeff Okudah, safety Jessie Bates III, defensive linemen Calais Campbell and David Onyemata, and linebacker Kaden Elliss.
Michael Reaves / Getty Images
Steelers 2020 linebackers, Bud Dupree (#48) and TJ Watt (#90) get ready to rush the passer.
The Steelers still have Highsmith and Watt, but will need to add depth to the outside linebacker room. The question remains, how they will do that?
Does losing Dupree mean that they have to go higher in the draft to get another EDGE? Could they possibly look to take a pass rusher in the first round? Click to comment below.
#SteelerNation
