Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Bud Dupree said that he is feeling good and on track to be ready for camp next season … although he didn’t mention anything about his contract status with the team.
Dupree joined the crew of NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” on Wednesday to talk about his recovery from the ACL injury he suffered against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12 and share some thoughts on teammates Ben Roethlisberger and T.J. Watt. He also talked about Super Bowl LV.
“Man, I’m feeling great right now,” Dupree said. “I’m ahead of schedule in rehab. It’s a great thing as always, it’s a blessing. I’m on track and I’m going to be ready for camp. It’s a blessing to take the small things from a big injury like that was and just know that I’m still able to perform next season.”
Asked about his thoughts on Roethlisberger and how long he’ll be the Steelers’ quarterback, Dupree said, “I think Ben’s going to stick around until he personally decides to hang it up. He’s a franchise-type player. He’s embedded in the organization and the city as well.”
But Dupree noted that as Roethlisberger gets older, many of the players he started with have left. “Everyone he came in with is gone. He’s the oldest one on the team. Kind of like a father figure.”
On the Super Bowl matchup, he called Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes a “generational talent” and said Mahomes will be motivated in the game against the GOAT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady.
Asked about his teammate Watt, who is a candidate for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, he said that “T.J. is just one of a kind.”
“You see it each and every week. Week in and week out. He is an animal. He is going to come in every day and prepare like it’s the Super Bowl each and every day,“ he continued about Watt.
Dupree did get a good laugh when one of the hosts mentioned that Watt also gives a good exit interview. (TribLive’s Mark Madden said on his radio show this week that Watt skipped the interview.)
Dupree will become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins on March 17. With him the Steelers racked up an 11-0 record but stumbled to the finish. He was missed by a defense for which he was a perfect fit on the edge.
Playing on the franchise-player tag for $15.828 million and before getting hurt, he had 31 tackles, eight sacks, eight tackles for a loss, 15 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles this season.
And, who knew? Dupree considers himself a grill expert.
Watch the interview here.
