Bud Dupree has always been a presence in T.J. Watt’s career. From the time the latter was drafted in the first round in 2017, the former was already there, starting across from him, as a third-year guy of the same pedigree, coming of the edge for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
While Watt may have taken off much faster and has quickly risen to arguably the very top of the NFL in terms of defensive dominance, Dupree in his own right has blossomed in recent years, and has positioned himself to be handsomely rewarded. A torn ACL suffered in Wednesday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens dampened his prospects, however, and the mood in the building.