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Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Bud Dupree is entering the final year of his contract, and while some players might see that as a distraction, Dupree is actually embracing it, saying that it's “fun”:
“For one year, I’m going to go out and do my thing,” Dupree said, according to Chris Adamski of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I’m going to prove [myself]. I’m going to help the team and not be selfish. Even though it is a contract year, I can’t be selfish. I have to make sure I am doing stuff that’s beneficial toward the unit as a whole and keep my hair on fire and keep playing to the best of my ability for the team, not only for myself. I’m out here, so it is what it is. I’m going to play my best. I’m going to do my best for them, and whatever happens happens.”
Dupree is coming off of a 2018 campaign in which he played all 16 games, registering 42 tackles, 5.5 sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and a defensive touchdown.
The 26-year-old is set to earn $9.2 million this year, and earlier this offseason, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert told The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he wants to see Dupree turns his “effort into more production” before thinking about extending him.
Dupree, who played his collegiate football at the University of Kentucky, was originally selected by Pittsburgh in the first round (22nd pick overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft.
He has been a bit of a disappointment thus far, but he has shown some improvement over the last couple of seasons.
