The Pittsburgh Steelers placed second-year outside linebacker Bud Dupree on their Reserve/Injured list on Saturday due to a groin injury that has hampered him over the course of the last several weeks. On Tuesday, head coach Mike Tomlin discussed that decision and also updated the condition of Dupree as it relates to him potentially needing surgery.
“He’s capable of being designated to return,” said Tomlin. “He’s got a muscular core injury that he’s been battling over the course of the last several weeks. These things sometimes get better with time and sometimes you can manage them, sometimes they require a surgical repair of some kind. He’s being evaluated here in the next couple of days in terms of what route we’re going to take, but by putting him on IR, potentially designated to return, we took the timetable off of it and we just want to get him healthy and hopefully he’ll be back in uniform for us in 2016 and be the core contributor to our efforts that he is capable of being.”
Tomlin reiterated later that Dupree will be evaluated again by the team’s doctors in a few days from now and at that time a decision will be made when it comes to whether or not he’ll need to undergo surgery.
For now, Dupree will be forced to miss at least the first eight weeks of the 2016 regular season and hopefully receive the designated to return tag if he can fully heal from his injury.
Dupree, the Steelers first-round draft pick last year, recorded four sacks during his rookie season. With him sidelined for the start of the team’s 2016 campaign, the team will more than likely ask veteran outside linebacker Arthur Moats to start in his place. Moats is expected to potentially platoon on the left side as the season progresses and until Dupree can return.
