The New England Patriots have traded veteran safety Kyle Dugger just one year after signing him to a four-year, $58 million contract. Dugger, a former second-round pick, spent the entirety of his career with New England up to this point.
New England Patriots Trade Kyle Dugger to Pittsburgh Steelers
Kyle Dugger is coming off a disastrous season, but it’s easy to blame injury for his poor performance during his final year with the Patriots. Dugger spent the season playing through a misdiagnosed high-ankle sprain and underwent tightrope surgery following the campaign. Now fully healthy, he should bounce back in a new role. Unfortunately, he wasn’t a scheme fit for first-year head coach Mike Vrabel, so the team parted ways with the veteran.
Dugger originally entered the league as a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Selected by the New England Patriots, the Lenoir-Rhyne product immediately played a key role in the post-Brady Patriots. Appearing in 14 games as a rookie while making seven starts, Dugger finished his inaugural season with 64 tackles, one tackle-for-loss, four passes defended, and a 64.1 PFF grade, the 49th-best mark out of 94 eligible players.
He made the Year 2 leap in 2021, helping New England make the playoffs in the first year of the Mac Jones Era. Earning a full-time starting role, Dugger finished the season with four interceptions, 92 tackles, five tackles-for-loss, and two quarterback hits. While that was his breakout year, his best season came in 2022 when he recorded three interceptions (two of which were returned for touchdowns), one sack, 79 tackles, five tackles-for-loss, and a 78.4 PFF grade, the 11th-best mark out of 88 qualified veterans.
Main Photo: Vincent Carchietta – Imagn Images
