Kyle Dugger made the final play of Saturday’s preseason win against the Minnesota Vikings, picking off a last-ditch pass in the endzone to ice the game.
It was a good play (video replay had to check if he fumbled). But it leads to a pressing question: Why is one of the New England Patriots’ most experienced defenders playing alongside backups at the end of a preseason game?
Typically, the fourth quarter of NFL preseason games is reserved for backups and roster longshots looking to make a case to make the team. So it’s unusual when key veterans are out there playing.
That was the case for Dugger, who currently has the second-highest cap hit on the Patriots roster at $15.26 million, according to Over The Cap.
He wasn’t alone. Veteran linebacker Anfernee Jennings also played late into Saturday’s game. The linebacker has the 16th-highest cap hit on the team with a price tag of $5.3 million.
What’s the deal? That was the question posed to Mike Vrabel after the game. The first-year Patriots coach said that, despite the 90-man roster, there are only so many guys available to play at a time.
Beyond that, Vrabel said that the new coaching staff is still figuring things out.
“We only have so many guys. We got guys who didn’t travel. There’s guys that didn’t play and we have to have 11 out there every play,” Vrabel said. “This is the third week of our first training camp as a coaching staff and as a team. That’s what I want everybody to realize. This is the third week of our first year and we have to get this right.”
Dugger has been in a strange spot so far this preseason. Once viewed as one of New England’s top defenders, the safety had a rough season in 2024. So far in 2025, he’s looked lost in the shuffle at the safety position.
Then there’s Jennings. While he was fourth on the team in tackles in 2024, the linebacker doesn’t seem to have a natural spot in Vrabel’s defense.
Still, Jennings has been fighting to prove he belongs, recording three sacks against the Vikings Saturday.
“I’ve seen a competitiveness, and Anfernee’s been around. Again, we’ve had really good conversations, and you try to draft some gauys and there’s some young guys in there. It’s a fine balance,” Jennings said. “To his credit, he’s done nothing but compete in practice, earn reps, earn opportunities in the game and take advantage of every one that he’s gotten and in a factor, today and even last week.
Vrabel is bringing a new defensive scheme to New England, which means that not everyone who was on the roster last year will have a natural fit. Jennings is one player who is perceived as not being an ideal fit.
As for Dugger, the issues have focused on performance. He’s yet to return to the high level of play he showed his first four seasons.
Could either player be on the roster bubble? Could the Patriots be showing them off as a potential trade chip?
It seemed like Vrabel doesn’t want outsiders reading too much into playing time.
“Everybody – be prepared to play for however long you’re in there or whenever you’re asked, and help on special teams. Somebody’s gotta protect the punter. Somebody’s gotta go on the field goal unit. Somebody has to be on a kickoff return. Our obligation is we have to protect the guys that have the ball and then we have to be able to play and get stops, just like we did. That builds confidence and trust throughout everybody on the team.”
It’s possible that both Jennings and Dugger are safe and end up playing key roles on the Patriots defense. However, we won’t know for sure until we get to roster cuts in a couple of weeks.
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