The Pittsburgh Steelers’ season is over, and one of the first landmarks of an NFL offseason is free agency. Coach Mike Tomlin left little ambiguity regarding his feelings toward the Steelers’ highest-profile pending free agent.

“He’s a priority of for us,” Tomlin said of outside linebacker Bud Dupree.

No matter how much everyone wants Bud Dupree to continue playing for the #Steelers, finances will dictate whether the 26-year-old linebacker is back for a sixth season or enticed by free-agent riches https://t.co/wCqGL0nfcl

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) December 31, 2019

Dupree, a fifth-year linebacker, is coming off his most productive season at the best possible time. His career-high 11 ½ sacks tied for ninth in the NFL and his 16 tackles for loss ranked tied for fourth.

Dupree made $9.23 million this past season on a team-exercised fifth-year option. On the open market, Dupree could command a contract of more than $80 million for five years. The team also could apply the franchise tag on Dupree, which is projected to be at $16.266 million for one season.

Dupree has expressed a desire to remain with the Steelers, but he also has been open about wanting to earn his fair value on the open market.

“We haven’t had extensive meetings in terms of defining that,” Tomlin said at his season wrap-up news conference Tuesday. “But make no mistake, Bud Dupree is a priority for us.”

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