The Los Angeles Chargers had a series of difficult decisions to make in their outside linebacker room as the deadline for roster cuts approached last weekend.
Bud Dupree seemed to have done enough in camp that, when factoring in his veteran experience, he seemed like a lock for the fourth edge rusher spot behind Tuli Tuipulotu, Khalil Mack, and Akheem Mesidor. But would Los Angeles look to carry a fifth edge rusher to account for Dupree's deficits in the pass rush? Would that open up a spot for either Kyle Kennard or UDFA Nadame Tucker?
We've since received our answers to those questions, and the way things have unfolded indicate a massive show of confidence in what Dupree can still provide even entering his age-34 season.
Los Angeles ultimately chose to carry just four outside linebackers onto the 53-man roster, going so far as to release Kennard from the IR and swap out Tucker for Caleb Murphy (whose primary value is on special teams) on the practice squad. These are low-impact moves on the surface, but they leave Dupree with a clear mandate heading into 2026.
He needs to justify the lifeline the Chargers have extended to him, not only for his contract prospects beyond this season but for the short-term depth of Los Angeles' defense as well.
Bud Dupree needs to maintain his production as a run defender if he wants to justify his Chargers lifeline
Coming into training camp, it seemed as though there was a real chance Dupree wouldn't survive until the start of the regular season. His production has declined in consecutive years in a Chargers uniform—he only posted two sacks and 16 combined tackles across 16 games in 2025—and it was possible Los Angeles would look to unlock more energy out of a younger piece like Kennard, Tucker, or even Andre Carter II.
But there's a reason Dupree prevailed. As good as Tuipulotu was last season (and as much as Mesidor seems like an immediately impactful addition to the rotation), the Chargers don't have a ton of certainty in their outside linebacker room. They needed someone they could count upon to stay available and provide consistent effort on a rotational basis. Dupree, at the very least, still represents that at this point in his career.
Of course, he's lost a step as a pass rusher, and it's unwise to expect any uptick in pure pressure or sack production from him in 2026. But even as he's declined in that aspect of his game, he still remains a more than capable run defender—something Los Angeles is generally lacking among that position group.
Mack is still an elite run defender at the position, but neither Tuipulotu nor Mesidor is necessarily a star in that aspect of their games. Tuipulotu is much better utilized as an attention-grabbing pressure tool, and while Mesidor has the motor and the bend to theoretically be a solid run defender, he likely lacks the anchor and the range to be immediately above average in that regard.
If Dupree is going to justify being the Chargers' sole edge rusher beyond their primary trio, he needs to have some path to earning consistent rotational snaps. As of now, that likely comes against the run—and entering his final season under contract with Los Angeles, that's also likely the only thing that can extend his NFL career beyond this season.
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