Bud Dupree (Pittsburgh Steelers Photo)
Gambling on himself certainly paid off for former Kentucky linebacker Bud Dupree who signed a free agents deal with the Tennessee Titans Monday that will pay him about $16 million per year. Pittsburgh didn’t offer Dupree the long-term deal he wanted before the 2020 season and he opted to become a free agent. He told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler Monday about signing with the Titans.
The Steelers put the franchise tag on Dupree for the 2020 season and he had eight sacks, 31 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and 15 quarterback hits for the Steelers despite suffering a torn ACL in Week 12. However, Dupree told Fowler he believes he can be ready to go for training camp based on what doctors have told him.
Dupree, 28, had 11.5 sacks for the Steelers in 2019 when he combined with TJ Watt to give the Steelers one of the NFL’s best sack tandems.
Dupree, a first-round pick in 2015, ended his Pittsburgh career with 66 starts, 39.5 sacks, 169 solo tackles, 54 tackles for loss, an interception return for a touchdown, and 65 quarterback hits.
Now the Titans, who have a shortage of outside linebackers, hope to have a pass rusher who can reach 10 sacks — something they have not had a player do since 2017.
