The Cincinnati Bengals spent the offseason searching for answers in a secondary that too often looked lost a year ago. According to Fox Sports insider Jordan Schultz, one of their most overlooked solutions might already be in the building.
In a recent post on X, Schultz listed his top 10 “under-the-radar” free-agent signings of the offseason, and the final name on the list was Bengals safety Kyle Dugger, a veteran defender Cincinnati quietly added in April.
Schultz described the list as players “who
could have a much bigger impact this year than we might even realize right now.”
That possibility makes plenty of sense for a Bengals defense that desperately needed more physicality, versatility, and experience on the back end.
Dugger arrived in Cincinnati after a turbulent 2025 season that was split between New England and Pittsburgh. The former second-round pick out of Division II Lenoir-Rhyne spent the first five-plus seasons of his career with the Patriots before being traded to the Steelers midway through last season.
Bengals fans will remember him well.
In Week 11 of last season, Dugger intercepted a Joe Flacco pass and returned it for a touchdown in Pittsburgh’s win over the Bengals. It was one of two interceptions he recorded after joining the Steelers, where he quickly stepped into a major role following injuries in the secondary. Dugger finished the season with 59 tackles and five pass breakups.
But the intrigue surrounding Dugger goes beyond raw numbers.
At his best, Dugger has shown the ability to be one of the NFL’s more versatile safeties, a downhill hitter capable of playing in the box, covering tight ends, blitzing, and creating turnovers. In 2022, he earned a 78.4 grade from Pro Football Focus, the best mark of his career.
The Bengals are betting that player is still there.
Cincinnati has aggressively rebuilt its defense this offseason, adding players like Bryan Cook, Boye Mafe, Jonathan Allen, and Dugger in an effort to fix a unit that finished near the bottom of the league in just about every major category last season.
And unlike some of the splashier additions, Dugger comes at almost no financial risk. According to Spotrac, Dugger agreed to a one-year deal worth just over $1.4 million.
For a player with 81 career games, 11 interceptions, nearly 500 career tackles, and proven starting experience, that has the potential to become one of the offseason’s biggest bargains.
The biggest question is fit.
The Bengals already signed former Chiefs safety Bryan Cook earlier in free agency, while Jordan Battle remains in the mix as well. Dugger now enters camp competing for snaps in what suddenly looks like one of the more crowded safety rooms Cincinnati has had since the Jessie Bates era.
That competition may be exactly what defensive coordinator Al Golden wants.
Dugger brings toughness and versatility to a defense that has lacked both at times. If he can rediscover the form he showed earlier in his career, Schultz’s “under-the-radar” label may not last very long.
