One of the premier pass rushers in free agency is bound for Tennessee.
The Tennessee Titans are signing former Pittsburgh Steelers edge Bud Dupree, ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøNetwork Insider Ian Rapoport and ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøNetwork's Tom Pelissero reported. Dupree's deal is for five years at $16.5 million per season with a max of $85 million and $35 million guaranteed, Rapoport added.
It's a big pay day for Dupree, 28, coming off a final season with the Steelers in which he played under the franchise tag before he was lost for the remainder of the year with a torn ACL.
Prior to his injury, Dupree had eight sacks in 11 games. Those numbers came after a career-high 11.5 sacks in 2019.
Heading into Monday, Dupree was tabbed as the No. 3 free agent in Gregg Rosenthal's Top 101 free agents of 2021 and he's getting paid as such.
A 2015 first-rounder, Dupree was surrounded by fellow top-round talent in Pittsburgh, but will now take on a lead role of turning around a Titans defense that was subpar last season. He will have some help, though, as the Titans are also signing former Colts defensive lineman Denico Autry to a three-year deal worth $21.5 million, Rapoport and Pelissero reported.
Having produced just 25 sacks in 2020, the Titans sorely needed a burst off the edge and Dupree fills that need provided he can bounce back from his injury.
