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NFL Rumors: Free agent defensive star Bud Dupree could reunite with Steelers

After spending two years with the Tennessee Titans, current free agent linebacker Bud Dupree could be headed home to Pittsburgh.

On Friday, the Pittsburgh Steelers brought Dupree in for a visit, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, and the two sides may be amenable to a reasonable agreement.

Dupree left the Steelers after the 2020 season and got his bag in Tennessee; prior to his departure, Dupree played under the franchise tag for Pittsburgh but saw his last season with the black-and-yellow get cut short due to injury.

One ACL tear, a nagging hip injury, and a few other health issues later, the 29-year-old pass rusher finds himself as a free agent this offseason, recently released by the Titans to save money against the cap.

Dupree’s mega-million contract days are likely behind him, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t serve as a valuable depth signing for the team that helped him skyrocket to fame.

The Steelers currently have T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith as their starting linebackers for 2023, and Dupree — who knows the playbook like the back of his hand, presumably — could slide in as an effective rotational piece with Jamir Jones, Quincy Roche, and other second- and third-stringers.

Not every player gets a sweet homecoming story, and Dupree’s inability to stay healthy makes him a high-risk liability for any team. However, with 39.5 sacks in six seasons for Pittsburgh, Dupree isn’t just any off-the-street free agent.

He was a Steelers icon in the making all those years ago, and now the prodigal son is ready to return home.