Dupree Ready to Build on 2021 Finish

The Tennessee Titans' 2021 campaign ended just when the veteran outside linebacker started to feel fully recovered from reconstructive knee surgery.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Titans’ front four was a fright to behold by the end of last season, as evidenced by the nine sacks and 13 quarterback hits the team dropped on Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow in a playoff loss.

When the regular-season numbers were totaled, Harold Landry (12 sacks), Denico Autry (nine sacks), Jeffery Simmons (8.5 sacks) and Bud Dupree (three sacks) had accounted for 32.5 of the team's 43 sacks in 2021.

One reason to think the pass rush might be even scarier in 2022? Dupree feels like he’s once again fully healthy.

Try as he might to push the rehabilitation envelope last season, the veteran outside linebacker never really looked as if he made a complete return from the torn ACL he suffered in December of 2020 with Pittsburgh. He played in just 11 of 17 games in 2021, recording career lows of 17 tackles, three sacks and two tackles for loss. Pro Football Focus gave Dupree an overall defensive grade of 53.3, his lowest since his rookie season of 2015.

There were, however, some encouraging signs as the season progressed.

Dupree posted a season-high five quarterback pressures against Miami in Week 17, produced two of his three regular-season sacks in his last four games, and added a sack, two quarterback pressures and a tackle for loss in the playoff defeat.

“I’d say it was in the playoff game, that’s when things started to really unfold, started feeling a little better,” Dupree said Tuesday after the first practice of this week's mandatory minicamp. “Then going into this offseason, (I’ve) had a lot of opportunities to go and keep rehabbing and continue on that (road to recovery).”

Dupree’s surge toward the end of last season has indeed appeared to motivate him as he readies for 2022.

Though Dupree didn’t participate in the Titans’ voluntary OTA sessions, he said he’s stayed busy working on the knee, sometimes training under Chuck Smith – a former University of Tennessee and Atlanta Falcons standout.

“I’ve been focused this offseason,” Dupree said. “Just getting the mobility back in my knee, getting my bend back on my stance, (being) powerful off the ball as well as turning the corner better, again (getting) low at the top of the rush. That’s things that were fundamental prior to the injury. But you got to make sure you continue to do those things, coming back to re-train the brain.“

Dupree feels better not only physically, but mentally, about his game these days.

The fact that he’s going into his second year in defensive coordinator Shane Bowen’s system, as well as his ability to participate in minicamp and a full training camp – unlike last year – should all add to his sense of well-being.

“I don’t got to get used to things anymore,” Dupree, 29, said. “I already know the routine, know the vibe. You feel more comfortable, you play more comfortable.”

That’s encouraging news for Bowen, who’s eager to see what a full-go Dupree might bring to the table. In four seasons prior to 2021, Dupree had averaged 11 tackles for loss and nearly eight sacks a year.

“It will be good to get him out here healthy and get rolling,” Bowen said. “We’ll see where it goes as we get into this week and training camp. I’m excited about Bud. I’m excited about the opportunity for him this season coming back. I think he’s in a good place mentally with how he’s feeling right now. So hopefully we can progress and get going pretty quickly with him.”

Dupree had hoped to make a quicker impression on Titans fans last season, after signing a five-year, $82.5 million contract in March of 2021.

In retrospect, he has said he probably tried to come back too quickly, hoping to live up to expectations even when the knee wasn’t quite right.

“That’s part of the process, part of the recovery process,” Dupree said. “Things happen. They take longer than expected. Your mind is telling you one thing, but your body is telling you another. So you’ve got to be prepared for that.”

As he compared the way he felt last season to this offseason, though, Dupree couldn’t help but smile under the hot sun at St. Thomas Sports Park.

“It’s way different, man, way different,” Dupree said. “Feels way better. Confidence is a different level. That’s all it takes to play this game. Your confidence is high, you’re going to play at a different level.”