Bud Dupree Now Open To Steelers Reunion After Flirting In 2023: 'For Sure...I'd Go Back'

But the conversation about Dupree returning someday and how great we would be with a "three-headed monster" of him, Watt and Highsmith, has never died down in the Steel City. Now Dupree once again gives fans hope. In a recent interview with Ron Lippock, who wrote Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades, he was asked once again about returning. 

"For sure! If the opportunity came up definitely! It's a great organization and Tomlin - he is who he is. The standard is the standard - for sure I'd go back," said an enthusiastic Dupree.

You can never say never in the NFL. Dupree, after a disappointing run, was released by the Titans in 2023 and signed by the Atlanta Falcons. Dupree performed well in Atlanta, despite being 30 years old. He helped the team increase their overall sack totals from 21 in 2022 to 42 in 2023. Dupree is responsible for 6.5 of those. That was his best performance since leaving the Steelers. 

A big part of the past issues with re-signing Dupree has centered around money and ego. The Steelers have their guys in Watt and Highsmith and it seemed unlikely that Dupree would want to slot in as a third wheel. The Steelers were highly unlikely to pay Dupree what he wanted back then either. Dupree admitted during this same interview that it took two seasons for his knee to fully heal and that means he is just now getting back up to speed. 

Atlanta only had him on a one-year deal for $3 million and it is still up in the air as to whether they will re-sign him or not. Dupree would make an excellent mentor if they bring in a new linebacker in the draft. Dupree speaks fondly about learning from his veteran teammates Arthur Moats and James Harrison. Now that a few years have passed, Dupree might be more amenable to a situation like the one in Pittsburgh, especially to be reunited with Head Coach Mike Tomlin. We will have to wait and see what Khan has cooked up next. 

Have The Steelers Finally Solved Their Inside Linebacker Problem?

When you think about Steelers linebackers, you think about Watt and Highsmith, the team has the outside positions locked down tight. But the inside is another story. Pittsburgh has struggled to find a talented inside linebacker ever since Ryan Shazier went down with a career-ending spinal cord injury. 

The team took a flyer on Devin Bush, moving up in the draft to get him. Bush also suffered an ACL injury and was never the same. The injury bug stuck again in 2023, taking out new veterans Kwon Alexander and Cole Holcomb, which sent Pittsburgh back to the drawing board again. This time, Khan decided to swing for the fences and signed Queen, a "villain", from the Ravens. 

Queen's three-year, $41 million contract, is the biggest free agency contract the team has ever signed. He represents everything the team and their fans value in a linebacker. Queen is gritty, determined, aggressive, and hard-working. While people argue that the old adage, "Defense wins championships" is dead, the Steelers know that is far from true. Khan and Tomlin took a defense that was already good and are building them into something great.

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