Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Bud Dupree will miss the remainder of the regular season, coach Mike Tomlin confirmed Thursday afternoon.
Dupree suffered a right knee injury during the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s 19-14 victory against the Baltimore Ravens. He was placed on injured reserve Thursday. Tomlin did not provide a date for a scheduled surgery for Dupree, who is in his sixth season and scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency this spring.
“You can characterize it as official that Bud is out for the year with a significant knee injury,” Tomlin said.
Dupree’s knee gave out in a noncontact play while he was pursuing Baltimore backup quarterback Trace McSorley. Several national outlets have reported it is a torn ACL, meaning two of the Steelers’ starting four linebackers have been lost for the season because of the same ominous injury.
Inside linebacker Devin Bush suffered his torn ACL during an Oct. 18 win against the Cleveland Browns.
A first-round pick in 2015, Dupree has 19½ of his 39½ career sacks over the 27 games of the past two seasons, including eight during 2020. He and NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate T.J. Watt had formed what was arguably the most feared duo of edge pass rushers in the NFL.
Rookie third-round pick Alex Highsmith takes over for Dupree as the starting right outside linebacker.
Highsmith has a sack, an interception, 20 tackles and two passes defensed over 139 defensive snaps played this season. Coming from Conference USA program Charlotte, he beat three-year veteran Ola Adeniyi during the abbreviated 2020 training camp to serve as the top backup this season to Dupree and Watt.
Highsmith joins previously unheralded Robert Spillane as backups thrust into roles as starting linebackers for the undefeated Steelers. Tomlin said he is “comfortable and confident” in Highsmith, similar to how he was (and is) with Spillane and rookie Kevin Dotson, who started in place of an injured David DeCastro earlier this season at guard.
“Those guys do the things behind the scenes … for when we ring their bell,” Tomlin said. “And we are ringing Alex Highsmith’s bell now.”
Here is more of what Tomlin had to say Thursday:
