UPDATE (8:35 PM): Ian Rapoport has confirmed the news. Dupree has signed with the Tennessee Titans. Terms of the deal weren’t immediately known.
Rapoport says Dupree’s deal is worth $16.5 million per season.
Rapoport said the deal is five-years worth up to $85 million. $35 million of it is guaranteed. A mega-contract for Dupree.
That amount of money is likely enough to net the Steelers a 3rd round comp pick for the 2022 draft. But that will also be based off Dupree’s playing time and what moves Pittsburgh makes in free agency. But given their tight cap situation, it’s unlikely anything the Steelers do would cancel out or diminish compensation for Dupree.
Dupree has been among the most impactful pass rushers of the last two years, according to this tweet by @NextGenStats.
Our original story is below.
Could Tennessee be Bud Dupree’s next home? Reports from the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelisssero suggest the Titans are strongly in the mix. Here’s what they tweeted moments ago.
Jason La Canfora is reporting similar though also mentions the Cleveland Browns as possible suitors. But all signs right now point to the Titans.
Dupree is arguably the top pass rusher on the board after the first day of legal tampering in free agency. Shaq Barrett stayed in Tampa while Romeo Okware re-upped in Detroit. Yannick Ngakoue inked a deal with the Raiders, leaving Dupree as one of the best remaining options.
Earlier on Monday, Ian Rapoport reported that despite coming off a torn ACL, Dupree had a hot market. His contract could look similar to Barrett, who received $17 million per year with the Bucs that can escalate to $18 million per season with incentives. In total, the deal maxes out at $72 million.
Tennessee is desperate for a pass rush. They had just 19 sacks as a defense in 2020 with only one player having more than five. Signing Dupree would make him instantly their best pass rusher while also bringing elite-level run defense. We’ll update you if the signing becomes official. The Titans aren’t likely to be the only team in the mix to sign him.
