The Tennessee Titans have agreed a deal with Bud Dupree, the former Steelers quieter told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Monday.
The deal will pay Dupree more than $ 16 million a year.
Dupree gives the Titans defense a much-needed presence on the sidelines. He is also able to be a lineman in nickel packages.
The Titans won just three outside defenses for most of last season’s games, which led to Harold Landry playing 94% of the snapshots.
Tennessee has not recorded 10 sacks in a season since Brian Orakpo finished with 10.5 in 2017.
After hitting the pitch with 11.5 sacks for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2019 season, Dupree, who turned 28 in February, was on track for another strong season in 2020, before suffering a broken ACL in week 12 against the Baltimore Ravens.
He told Fowler earlier this month that he plans to be a full-time participant in an NFL training camp based on positive feedback from his doctors.
Playing on the franchise’s label after the two sides failed to complete a long-term deal, Dupree had 8 sacks, 31 combined attacks, 8 touchdowns and 15 quarterback shots for Pittsburgh last season.
The 2019 campaign was the healthiest since being taken by the Kentucky Steelers in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft; forming a fierce tandem with TJ Watt, Dupree recorded 17 defender shots and had 16 approaches to the loss.
Dupree was not only a key piece for the Steelers’ strong defense, but he was a type of glue, linking the locker room to his optimistic attitude and personality. He finished his Steelers career with 66 starts, 39.5 sacks, 169 solo attacks, 54 loss approaches, a touchdown return for a touchdown and 65 defender shots.
Brooke Pryor and Turron Davenport of ESPN contributed to this report.