The Pittsburgh Steelers are trading a sixth-round pick to the New England Patriots for safety Kyle Dugger and a seventh-round pick, according to multiple reports. That move comes on the heels of DeShon Elliott’s injury, which will land him on injured reserve.
Dugger fell out of favor with the new regime in New England one year after signing a four-year extension. He is under contract through 2027 if the Steelers would like to keep him there.
He has 69 career starts and has played in 81 games as the dimebacker and strong safety. Dugger, 29, now comes in as the likely replacement for DeShon Elliott moving forward. He has not registered an interception over the last two seasons but has been a force in the run game.
Dugger has played in seven games this season, posting 17 tackles. The Steelers will utilize him in a similar role to Elliott, though it is unknown how that will affect the free safety position and who will slot in there moving forward.
Dugger is 6-foot-1, 210 pounds and ran a 4.49 40-yard dash coming out of Lenoir-Rhyne in North Carolina back in 2020. He played in just 39 percent of the Patriots’ defensive snaps this year, but also brings special teams value to the table for the Steelers.
Given it did not cost the team much and they can get out of the contract after this season, it made sense for the Steelers to try and make the move, and Dugger could have a chance to start moving forward.
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