Steelers' HC Mike Tomlin Confirms Loss of Bud Dupree
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers did, in fact, lose their outside linebacker, Bud Dupree.
On Thursday, head coach Mike Tomlin addressed the media during his weekly press conference, confirming the six-year veteran will be shut down for the season with an ACL tear.
Tomlin did not have a timetable for Dupree's ACL repair surgery.
Dupree left the game during the Steelers' Week 12 win over the Baltimore Ravens. After an awkward step, Dupree limped over to the sideline and threw his helmet out of bounds.
Clearly frustrated, Dupree was sat with trainers momentarily before walking to the locker room.
Through 11 games, Dupree totaled 31 tackles, 8 sacks, 8 tackles for loss and 15 quarterback hits. He ranked fifth in the NFL in sacks this season.
Dupree is set to become a free agent at the end of the season. He's currently playing under the franchise tag after finishing his rookie deal last season.
The Steelers will rely on rookie Alex Highsmith and backup Ola Adeniyi to fill the role of Dupree. Highsmith has accumulated 20 tackles and a sack this season, playing 20% of the defense's snaps.
"I'm just as comfortable and confident as I was in Robert Spillane when we called upon him or Kevin Dotson when we called upon him on the other side of the ball," Tomlin said on Thursday. "That's life in this business. Those guys work behind the scenes every day, very diligently, preparing themselves for these opportunities."
Adeniyi has only played in 10% of the Steelers' defensive snaps this season but has filled a role on special teams. The third-year linebacker has 12 tackles through 11 games.
Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
