Just a little over a year after receiving a contract extension, the New England Patriots have moved on from safety Kyle Dugger.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, New England traded Dugger and a 2026 7th-round selection to Pittsburgh in exchange for a 2026 6th-round pick. As part of the deal, the Patriots will reportedly help cover part of Dugger’s remaining salary, which is said to be about $9.75 million.
Dugger joins fellow defensive teammate Keion White as a player who was moved ahead of the deadline, with White having been dealt to San Francisco on Tuesday.
The former second-round pick had been a standout on New England’s defense, but it felt like he might not have been a great fit under new head coach Mike Vrabel’s defensive scheme. Dugger dealt with an injury at the end of last season, which affected his play down the stretch in 2024 and there definitely seemed to be some questions on his future heading into the offseason.
The injury was enough that he had to undergo offseason surgery. As people began to ponder his future, especially as Dugger’s role was seemingly reduced during training camp, Vrabel was quick to point out on more than one occasion this summer that Dugger was still coming back from an injury, and his comments remained positive when it came to the safety all throughout camp.
“I think that he’s continued to take advantage of the opportunities and the reps, and I think he’s feeling more comfortable,” said Vrabel following their preseason finale. “We talked about a long rehab process in the offseason that he committed to, but it wasn’t a quick rehab process. I mean, he had surgery.”
“I think that he’s gotten better. I think he’s improved. I think he’s feeling better. It looks like he’s feeling better on tape. That’s good to see. Those are all positive things. Making a play, two interceptions. I thought he flashed. I thought he triggered. I thought he tackled. I thought his length showed up, all these things. And we didn’t blitz anybody tonight. We didn’t do any of that, but just playing in our base scheme. Those things, I thought, showed up tonight.”
Dugger ended up finishing tied for the team lead in tackles with Kobee Minor this preseason, having tallied 11 tackles, as well as two interceptions and three passes defended.
The veteran ended up on the roster to begin the season, which Vrabel said at the time was because he felt he could help the team.
“Because I think he’s feeling better,” said Vrabel at the time. “Thought he had some really good snaps against New York. I think he can help us and obviously find a role, talked to him about that, have talked to him about that. Will continue to talk to him about that and provide value to the football team.”
That decision certainly worked out for the best as he contributed both on special teams and saw additional playing time after Jaylinn Hawkins missed time with an injury.
But he clearly wasn’t in their long-term plans, which ultimately led to him being moved.
New England is currently a little thin depth-wise at safety, with Jaylinn Hawkins and rookie Craig Woodson having been their primary starters. They also have Dell Pettus and special teams standout Brenden Schooler.
The Patriots are currently preparing to face the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
