Titans' Bud Dupree says coaches will decide when he returns from torn ACL

Star pass-rusher Bud Dupree was with the Pittsburgh Steelers when he suffered a torn ACL on Dec. 2 that ended his 2020 season and ultimately his Pittsburgh tenure. 

Dupree signed with the Tennessee Titans in March on a five-year agreement that could be worth up to $82.5 million, largely because he tallied 19.5 sacks across his last 27 regular-season games, and the 28-year-old declared at that time he would "be full speed in camp." 

He wasn't quite as confident during a Wednesday appearance on NFL Network's "Good Morning Football."

"Just training hard every day right now, man," Dupree explained about his recovery, according to Kevin Patra of the NFL's website. "ACL recovery, rehab has been one of the most progress things I've dealt with so far. Each week you see different levels of progress. You see different things changing about it. I'm working hard to be back as soon as I can, but it's up to the coaching staff at the end of the day, like when they want me to be on the field and how comfortable they feel with me coming off the injury."

Considering Tennessee's commitment to Dupree beyond the upcoming campaign, the club would do well to ensure he's fully recovered before he takes the field for a competitive contest.