3 reasons why Bud Dupree has played his final snaps with the Steelers

There will be a high market for Dupree

Had the Steelers not given Dupree the fifth-year option, perhaps they would have been able to sign him back at a cheaper extension. However, with the way the former first-round pick played prior to his season-ending knee injury, there is going to be a reasonably large market for what he brings to the table.

In addition to his team-first mentality and high character, Dupree is a terrific athlete and he has shown that some of his best football is in front of him. Though he’s not considered to be an ‘elite’ edge defender in the NFL by most accounts, good pass rushers are hard to come by, and Dupree checks the boxes for what most teams look for.

Bud is still just 27 years old and with the way the market has cornered on pass rushers, he is likely looking at an extension that is estimated to earn him about $16.6 million per season, according to Spotrac.com. If this would have been T.J. Watt in the same situation in the last year of his deal, the Steelers would do everything in their power to keep him around. But they can ill-afford to move money around for an edge defender that isn’t the best on their team.

In the end, the Steelers no doubt wish they could keep Bud Dupree around for the long haul but it’s just not reasonable knowing that T.J. Watt is going to be one of the highest-paid non-quarterbacks in the league, and Pittsburgh can’t afford to clear up space for him. When it was all said and done, Dupree turned out to be a fine pick by Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin, but he will be continuing his career elsewhere in 2021. We wish him the best of luck moving forward.