The New England Patriots are having a busy day. Less than an hour after news broke that they have sent defensive lineman Keion White to the San Francisco 49ers, they have swung another trade.
Kyle Dugger, a longtime starting safety and former team captain, is being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Patriots are getting a 2026 sixth-round draft pick back in return for the veteran defender and a seventh-rounder.
Dugger, 29, originally arrived in New
England as the 37th overall pick in the 2020 draft. The Lenoir-Rhyne product quickly developed into a cornerstone under head coach Bill Belichick, and over his first four seasons with the club appeared in a combined 62 regular season and playoff games with 53 starts. Along the way, he proved himself one of the best young safeties in the league and a versatile playmaker in the secondary.
However, Dugger’s career in New England took a turn for the worse in 2024. While he did sign a four-year, $58 million contract extension with the team that offseason and was still prominently featured under new head coach Jerod Mayo, his play on the field dropped off in large part due to injury.
There was optimism that Dugger would return to form heading into 2025, but he failed to do so in the Patriots’ new-look defense under Mike Vrabel. He lost his starting role in training camp, and after serving as a backup over the first eight weeks of the season has now been sent to Pittsburgh.
Dugger is leaving the Patriots with a total of 81 games, nine interceptions and three defensive touchdowns on his résumé.
