If the Pittsburgh Steelers wanted a reunion with Bud Dupree, how much would it cost the team to land him in late free agency?

Former Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Bud Dupree is a free agent, and he said he would welcome a return to Pittsburgh, if the opportunity arose.

Dupree, 31, played the 2023 season with the Atlanta Falcons on a one-year, $2.97 million contract. Dupree started 16 games for the Falcons, recording 6.5 sacks to tie for the team lead. He also racked up 39 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, eight quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and three passes defended.

The Steelers’ first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Dupree spent two seasons in Tennessee before joining the Falcons. Now a free agent for a third time, Dupree still seeks a home a significant time into the contact period.

“If the opportunity came up, definitely!” Dupree said when asked if he’d be willing to return to Pittsburgh by Ron Lippock of Steelers Takeaways. “It’s a great organization and [Mike] Tomlin – he is who he is. The standard is the standard – for sure I’d go back!”

And PFF’s Brad Spielberger believes that if that reunion were to occur, it would cost a one-year, $3.75 million deal. That is likely too expensive to Pittsburgh, especially since they believe that Nick Herbig is ready to step up into a much bigger role in 2024.

A Macon, Georgia native, Dupree attended the University of Kentucky, but has called Atlanta home for some time. He was happy to return there to play with the Falcons, and is now unsure where his football journey will take him as he heads into the twilight of his career.