The deadline for NFL teams to use the franchise tag passed at 4 p.m. Tuesday, and the Pittsburgh Steelers declined to use it on outside linebacker Bud Dupree.
For just the second time in the past five years, the Steelers didn’t tag any of their players. The Steelers tagged Dupree last season and used the tag on running back Le’Veon Bell after the 2017-18 seasons.
By tagging Dupree, 28, it would have set his salary for 2021 at nearly $19 million. Dupree earned $15.828 million under the franchise tag in 2020 and, per NFL rules, his salary would have increased by 20% if he were tagged a second time.
Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was another candidate for the franchise or transition tags, which would have set his salary at $16.43 million and $14.269 million, respectively. Dupree and Smith-Schuster are among more than a dozen Steelers players that will become unrestricted free agents March 17.
General manager Kevin Colbert told reporters less than three weeks ago that it would be “doubtful” for the Steelers to use a tag this offseason.
After reworking quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s contract last week to create a $15 million reduction in salary-cap space for 2021, the Steelers aren’t close to having the kind of financial flexibility to add a $19 million salary for Dupree.
The precise NFL salary cap hasn’t been determined but will be no lower than $180 million. The Steelers have a rollover of $4.95 million they can carry into 2021. Still, they have only about $3.6 million in cap space available, according to overthecap.com. Any increase of the salary cap above $180 million, of course, would give the Steelers more spending power.
Once the final salary cap figure is determined, the Steelers can see how much room they have in order to retain some of their other less costly free agents.
The Steelers could try to re-sign Dupree until he hits free agency, but spotrac.com projects Dupree having a market value of $18.2 million. Smith-Schuster carries a $16.1 million market value, according to the site.
Dupree had eight sacks in 2020 before his season was cut short after 11 games because of a torn ACL. He had a career-high 11.5 sacks in 2019.
