We saw the writing on the wall when the Steelers tagged Bud Dupree instead of coming to a long-term agreement. It was all but official that 2020 was going to signal the end of the Dupree era.
“It’s bittersweet,” Dupree told the media on Monday. “It’s a blessing to get to this point in my career and to still be here, working through adversity and working hard and just being in this position I am today. I’m in the driver’s seat of my career right now. I will go out and play the best that I can play, and everything will be in its place by the end of the year. I will be able to control my own destiny. But for right now, I just need to keep working hard and do what I do. Keep trying to get better and better each day and keep having my teammates like we have to compete against each other and make us that much better. At the end of the day, it’s a blessing. It is a business, too. It goes both ways.”
Given the uncertainty of the 2021 salary cap (and beyond), it’s a good thing that the Steelers didn’t extend Dupree a contract. Pittsburgh has a plethora of players set to hit the free-agent market, and money is tight.
As for the grievance Dupree filed in July, it’s still in limbo. “My agent and the Steelers are handling that situation,” Dupree shared. “In the type of defense that we play and the type of scheme, I feel like defensive ends and linebackers are all the same category. It is just that type of new style that is being played in the NFL. Just a different type of body style but a different position.”
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