The Patriots are moving on from yet another second-round pick.
Less than an hour after trading Keion White to the San Francisco 49ers, the Patriots are also trading veteran safety Kyle Dugger. According to a source, the Patriots are sending Dugger and a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2026 sixth-round selection.
Dugger went from a starter and mainstay in the Patriots defense to a backup in Mike Vrabel’s scheme. This offseason, the Patriots talked to other teams about Dugger, but a trade never materialized in training camp.
Less than a week away from the Nov. 4 trade deadline, the Patriots found a taker. Dugger joins a Steelers secondary that also has former Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers.
Dugger, 29, played in 38.8% of the Patriots defensive snaps this season. He started four of seven games played, making 17 tackles. Dugger was playing behind safeties Jaylinn Hawkins and rookie Craig Woodson. That was a stark departure from the role Dugger had been playing in New England.
Dugger began this season by playing seven defensive snaps in Week 1. His playing time was dependent on the health of Hawkins and Woodson. Dugger played 100% of the Patriots defensive snaps against New Orleans and Tennessee while Hawkins was out with a hamstring injury.
Dugger was inactive last weekend after suffering a knee injury.
Drafted 37th overall in 2020, Dugger started seven of 14 games as a rookie. After that, he was a starting safety in Bill Belichick’s defense. Dugger started 13 of 15 games in 2021. From 2022-2024, he started every game played for the Patriots.
An athletic strong safety, Dugger had a career-high four interceptions in 2022. In 2023, he was very productive, finishing with 109 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two interceptions.
That led the Patriots, under Jerod Mayo, to give Dugger a 4-year, $58 million extension in 2024. A little over a year later, under a new coach, the team has moved on from its investment.
Dugger entered this season with a $15.27 million cap hit. That number was set to grow to $17 million in 2026 and $18 million in 2027. According to overthecap.com, the Patriots will save over $12 million next season and over $13 million in 2027 by trading Dugger.
This season, under Vrabel, the Patriots prioritized safeties who were more athletic. That led to Hawkins and Woodson starting. The team moved on from Peppers, who started last year, during training camp and traded Dugger on Tuesday.
With Dugger gone, the Patriots safety depth will be tested. After Hawkins and Woodson, the team has Dell Pettus and special teamer Brenden Schooler on the active roster. They also recently signed veteran safety Richie Grant to the practice squad.
The NFL Network was the first to report the news of Dugger’s trade.
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