The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to have some significant free-agent decisions to make this offseason. But none will be bigger than how to handle outside linebacker Bud Dupree. This sentiment was echoed by head coach Mike Tomlin at his Tuesday press conference where he called Dupree “a top priority” for the Steelers.
Dupree had his breakout season in 2019. He finished second on the team with 11.5 sacks, an improvement of 5.5 over his best season previously. It probably sounds cliche but you could see that everything finally clicked for Dupree, who has always been an elite athlete but showed he can be an elite football player as well.
I’m not going to say the Steelers cannot re-sign Dupree. Their ability to manipulate the salary cap is unmatched in the NFL. But with the season Dupree has had, if the Steelers are serious about not letting Dupree leave, it’s going to be expensive. And quite honestly, it would be somewhat out of character for the franchise to get into a bidding war for any player’s services.
