The Steelers will be wrapping up another hectic offseason as the offseason draws to a close and football season approaches. For the 2024 season, Omar Khan made a lot of moves and brought a lot of quality to the Steel City. But you can’t bring them all back.
After departing, some former Steelers have seen tremendous success, while others have not. Which category will this group of ex-Steelers fit into? Fans of the Steelers might be shocked to see these three former players this season on new clubs, but only time will tell.
1. Buffalo Bills’ Chase Claypool
Chase Claypool was considered a key young player on the Steelers squad not too long ago.
Following a great debut campaign in 2020 with 11 total touchdowns, Claypool has only scored 4 touchdowns in the subsequent seasons. That corresponds to the quantity of teams he has participated in. In the 2022 season, he was traded to the Chicago Bears, where he saw some playing time but unable to make an impression. He was moved to the Miami Dolphins for the previous season, when he caught four passes in nine games. He recently inked a contract with the Buffalo Bills.
With Claypool, there will always be a what-if scenario. Despite possessing all the physical attributes to excel as a wide receiver, he was unable to execute his skills. This could be his final opportunity to play in the NFL with Buffalo.
2. Cleveland Browns’ Devin Bush
Like Claypool, Bush represents yet another chance lost for the Steelers. In Pittsburgh, Bush never reverted to his 2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year form, despite coming in third in the voting.
He never again reached 100 tackles, had just one fumble recovery after having four in his first season, and never had an interception after recording two in 2019. Bush appeared to get worse as he spent more years in the league, as he was a liability and frequently found himself out of position.
Bush struggled to duplicate the brilliance that saw him selected 10th overall in his inaugural season and ultimately inked a contract with the Seattle Seahawks for the 2023 campaign. Having only started three games for them, he has since moved to Cleveland, where he must perform well in camp in order to avoid being cut. Both Claypool and Bush had the skill to be long-term Pittsburgh contributors, but they were never able to fully realise their potential.
3. Los Angeles Chargers’ Bud Dupree
Bud Dupree was able to provide the Steelers with several excellent seasons before departing, unlike Bush and Claypool.
Dupree spent six seasons with the Steelers, recording six, eight, and eleven sack seasons in Pittsburgh, respectively. Because of their excellent pass-rushing combination with T.J. Watt, Dupree and the Steelers made it impossible for the latter to let him go in 2021. In search of a lucrative contract, he signed with the Titans, but he found it difficult to fit in. Over the course of his two seasons with Tennessee, he totaled seven sacks.
Dupree was more like himself last season when he was a member of the Atlanta Falcons, recording 6.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. The Chargers awarded him a two-year contract as compensation for that performance, giving him the opportunity to support Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa. At thirty-one years old, this may be Dupree’s final chance to play in the NBA before ageing catches up with him.
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