Bud Dupree calls turning down Steelers' contract offer 'hardest decision' he's ever made

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in the market for some depth at outside linebacker. The team has two outstanding players already in phenom TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith. As we saw last season, the defense struggles when Watt is out and Highsmith takes on all the attention. 

However, when former Steelers outside linebacker Bud Dupree was released by the Tennessee Titans, rumors began to swirl that he might return home to Pittsburgh. However, the news broke that Dupree accepted a one-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons. The word that was swirling around social media is that Dupree only wanted a one-year contract and that Pittsburgh would only offer a two-year deal. 

Now we have confirmation that this is true. Former Steelers offensive guard Ramon Foster spoke to his teammate Dupree about the signing and discussed it on his podcast, "The Ramon Foster Show," which is on DK Pittsburgh Sports Network. Foster was also joined on the show by DK Pittsburgh Sports owner Dejan Kovacevic. 

The Steelers Not Signing Dupree Is A Bonus For Another Player

Kovacevic confirms that the Steelers don't do one-year contracts for players like this and asks Foster why they don't do "prove it contracts." Foster agrees they don't and shared the reason. 

"Because if they prove themselves right then you get them for the next year."

Foster went on to say that he spoke to Dupree immediately after the news of his signing to Atlanta broke. He said that he offered Dupree to keep anything they discussed between the two of them private but he told Foster he could share it on his show. Dupree confirmed that he was asking for a one-year deal. He said that he spoke to everyone including Head Coach Mike Tomlin, General Manager Omar Khan and even Owner Art Rooney II and they were all on the same page with a two-year deal. Foster said Dupree told him this wasn't an easy decision. 

"This time around on a different deal, a smaller deal, was harder than his bigger deal," Foster said. 

He told Foster that Pittsburgh was a known quantity to him and that made it a very tempting deal. 

"I know what Pittsburgh is, I know they want me there, I know what I am getting myself into, this is the hardest decision I've had to make and to tell them no I wanted to be able to just do a one-year deal and Pittsburgh wanted two, I want to have a good year and hit the market again."

Both Kovacevic and Foster agree that all of these discussions must mean that Dupree got a clean bill of health. He has been suffering from injuries for the past several years. From their perspective, they feel that Dupree believes in himself and believes he will outperform this one-year contract. 

Foster also says that this works out in Highsmith's favor. 

"Bud was of the mindset that he was a security blanket for Alex too, meaning that as players they can negotiate against you as one to another. Bud is older, Bud becomes more productive, guess what Alex we don't have to sign you for this, we got Bud."

Dupree also told Foster that when things fell through with Pittsburgh he did not entertain anyone but Atlanta. He was offered a deal by another northern team and outright rejected it. His family, including his children, live 30 minutes from the practice facility so they don't have to move. 

He also reached out to Highsmith on his own and encouraged him. Foster said we all know what this means, that Highsmith is in control as now he has them. 

"Alex go kill it," Dupree said.

Fans who have been around for a while remember what happened last time we brought back an "older" player to be a "backup" or a number three. James Harrison returned to Pittsburgh and put the nail in Jarvis Jones' time with the Steelers.