Pittsburgh Steelers safety Kyle Dugger is signing with the Cincinnati Bengals. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Dugger is departing the Steelers following a half-season with the team.
Former Steelers free-agent safety Kyle Dugger is signing a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals, per his agent Drew Rosenhaus. pic.twitter.com/S1psSkF8J9
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 2, 2026
Contract details weren’t immediately known. Dugger’s deal is likely close to NFL minimum.
Pittsburgh acquired Dugger in a trade with the New England Patriots last October for a late Day 3 pick swap, the Steelers sending a 2026 6th-round pick for Dugger and a 2026 7th. Immediately stepping in and starting for an injured SS DeShon Elliott, Dugger started nine games for the Steelers. He tallied 42 tackles, five pass breakups, and two interceptions, including a 73-yard pick-six against QB Joe Flacco and the Cincinnati Bengals.
But Dugger missed several other chances to increase his interception total and struggled in coverage while showing inconsistencies as a tackler. At 30 years old, the Steelers were likely looking for younger, faster, and rangier options. An unusually deep draft class at the position will provide plenty of opportunities to upgrade.
For his career, Dugger’s appeared in 90 games with 78 starts. He’s notched 483 tackles, 11 interceptions, and 4.5 sacks. Once a solid starter in New England, he fell out of favor under the Mike Vrabel regime and had his 2025 playing time reduced until being traded to Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh swapped out its safety depth by signing Jaquan Brisker to a one-year contract. The team also reportedly agreed to a deal with veteran Darnell Savage, but the contract hasn’t become official and it’s unclear if both sides will follow through.
Dugger will look to crack a Bengals roster coming off another poor defensive showing. In 2025, Cincinnati finished 30th in scoring defense, 26th in passing yards, and 29th in passing touchdowns allowed. Geno Stone, who started 34 games for the Bengals the last two years, signed with the Buffalo Bills this offseason.
He is the second former Steelers safety to sign with a team this week. Chuck Clark inked a contract with the Detroit Lions on Tuesday.
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