Dupree 'Better Than Ever' Since Return from IR

Inside linebackers coach Ryan Crow says the outside linebacker's extended absence was a blessing in disguise.

NASHVILLE – Bud Dupree still has not been at his best in his first season with the Tennessee Titans.

In the wake of his recent stay on injured reserve, though, he is as close as he has been. At least that is the way outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow sees it.

Dupree has played two games since his return to the active roster and has registered six tackles and two sacks. In seven contests earlier in the season, he had just seven tackles and one sack.

It was an abdominal injury sustained on his first snap against the New Orleans Saints that led franchise officials to remove him from the active roster for a sustained period (three games, plus the open date in the schedule). Before that, he battled the effects of reconstructive knee surgery last December with Pittsburgh and limited him to just seven appearances in the first 10 weeks.

All of that now seems to be behind him.

“It was kind of a blessing in disguise,” Crow said Tuesday. “It gave him time for his knee to heal, for his ab to heal for his whole body to heal – and his mind. I think he came back looking better than ever since he’s been here. He’s been ripping and roaring.”

There is a question as to whether he will be able to maintain that momentum this week. Dupree was placed on the Reserve—COVID-19 list Monday, which creates uncertainty about his status for Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins.

If he does not clear the NFL’s protocols in time, it won’t be just his play that the Titans miss. There also is the impact the seventh-year veteran has on those around him when he can participate fully in meetings, practices and games.

“He’s an energy-giver,” Crow said. “… He’s always excited. He’s always got a smile on his face. He’s always pumping guys up. And you feel it. He’s one of those guys that it doesn’t matter the day, it doesn’t matter the temperature, he’s the same guy every single day. And you love having those guys on defense.”

Expectations for what Dupree would add to Tennessee’s defense when he signed a five-year, $82.5 million free-agent contract in March. The knee surgery tempered things somewhat, but things went worse than anyone could have expected. He admittedly tried to do too much early when he was on the field for 70 percent or more of the snaps on defense in Weeks 1 and 2, and he produced little in terms of statistics.

In the two games since the abdominal injury, he has played fewer snaps than in all but one contest prior to that issue, but his numbers are better than ever. That has created the sense everyone will see the best of Dupree in the coming weeks.

“It was frustrating for everybody because you hate to see a guy go through that,” Crow said. “But, like I said, the time that he had on IR – to clear his mind, to get his body back, to come and kind of reset – I think helped him.

“His approach now is much clearer, and his vision is much clearer than it’s been. He’s excited about it, and we’re all excited about it.”