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The Pittsburgh Steelers defense suffered a heavy blow Wednesday night when Bud Dupree left the game with one of those dreaded non-contact knee injuries.
Fans hoped for the best, but the news was the worst. Dupree tore up his ACL, ending his season. Mike Tomlin confirmed the injury at his weekly press conference Thursday, which meant the Steelers had an open roster spot.
The team decided to fill that spot with rookie security Antoine Brooks Jr.
Brooks has been a player who has rebounded from the active roster to the practice squad, but that’s usually for players moving out and out of the NFL reserve / COVID-19 roster. This time, Brooks’ stay will likely be permanent. Brooks was a rise of the practice squad in Week 8, although he never saw the pitch, and again in Week 9 where he played five special team shots. Brooks was a rise of Covid in Week 10 where he played 47% of defensive shots against the Cincinnati Bengals. Brooks was again a rise in Covid in Week 12, but this time was on the inactive list for Wednesday’s game.
Dupree’s injury is the second end-of-season injury to a star defense. Earlier this season, the team lost Devin Bush to a torn ACL, ending their sophomore year almost before they even started.
Dupree’s absence will leave a huge void. His 8 sacks are second for the team only ahead of TJ Watt, and the team will look to a combination of Alex Highsmith and Ola Adeniyi to lessen the blow from Dupree’s injury.
As for Brooks, he will try to carve out a role for himself on special teams, and as a box line / safety in sub-packages.
Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and safe notes from the Steelers as they prepare for the Washington soccer team at Heinz Field in Week 13.
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