One of the premier pass rushers in free agency is bound for Tennessee.
The Tennessee Titans are signing former Pittsburgh Steelers edge Bud Dupree, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and NFL Network'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.
