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Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney agrees with head coach Mike Tomlin that re-signing linebacker Bud Dupree this offseason is a top priority, according to Gerry Dulac of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“We'd like to have Bud back, no question about it,” said Rooney. We will do our best to make it happen.”
Dupree is coming off of a breakout 2019 campaign in which he played every game and racked up 68 tackles, 11.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and a couple of fumble recoveries.
The 26-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Kentucky, was originally selected by the Steelers in the first round (22nd pick overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft.
He appeared in all 16 contests during his rookie season, logging 26 tackles and four sacks. Injuries then limited him to just seven games during his sophomore year, and during the time he was on the field, he posted 24 tackles, 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
Dupree has remained very healthy since, but his production in 2017 and 2018 was not what Pittsburgh was hoping for.
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In 15 games in 2017, Dupree finished with 40 tackles, six sacks and a fumble recovery, and in 2018, he recorded 42 tackles, 5.5 sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and a defensive touchdown.
There was pressure on Dupree to step up heading into this past season, and he did just that, playing a pivotal role on what was a very stingy Steelers defense.
Now, he is awaiting a pretty hefty pay day as a result.
Pittsburgh went 8-8 this year, just missing out on the playoffs in spite of a plethora of injury issues.
