Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers have traded for veteran safety Kyle Dugger from the New England Patriots, according to multiple media reports.
The Steelers will send a 2026 sixth-round draft pick to New England, and receive a seventh-round pick in return along with Dugger.
The move comes days after Steelers starting strong safety DeShon Elliott suffered a knee hyperextension in Sunday’s loss the Green Bay Packers.
The Patriots have been trying to trade Dugger since the offseason. The former starter fell out of favor with new head coach Mike Vrabel and the defensive scheme he installed, but a hefty price tag prevented them from finding a landing spot for him earlier.
Dugger is set to earn $9.75 million in salary this season, along with $1 million in per-game roster bonuses. He is also owed a total of $13.5 million in 2026. It’s unclear if any modifications were made to his contract as part of the trade. If they were not, the team will be responsible for the remainder of his salary for this season — nearly half — and will be able to cut him without penalty if they choose to in 2026.
The 29-year-old Dugger has spent his entire NFL career in New England since joining the Patriots as a second-round pick out of Lenoir-Rhyne in the 2020 NFL Draft. He became a starter midway through is rookie season, starting out as mostly a strong safety, but he also played free safety over his time in New England.
Dugger’s best statistical season came in 2023, when he racked up 109 tackles, six for a loss, 1.5 sacks, five quarterback hits, seven passes defended, two interceptions and a forced fumble.
Last year, he started 13 games while being limited by an ankle injury. He finished with 81 tackles, eight for a loss, one sack, one quarterback hit, four passes defended and a forced fumble.
In seven games this season, he’s been a starter four times and a reserve three, recording 17 total tackles.
In Pittsburgh, Dugger will be reunited with Jabrill Peppers, who starting alongside him at safety for the Patriots from 2022-24.
A 6-foot, 217-pound safety, Dugger ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash in pre-draft testing and posted eye-popping vertical (42 inches) and broad (11 feet) jumps for a 9.54 Relative Athletic Score out of 10.
A native of Decatur, Georgia, Dugger was mostly a basketball player at Whitewater High School and didn’t start on the football team until his senior year. Lenoir-Rhyne, a Division II school, was one of three offers received out of high school. He started at cornerback before moving to safety for the Bears, and also returned punts. He won the Cliff Harris Award as the best small-school defensive player in 2019.
The Steelers have not officially announced the transaction and will need to make a roster move to clear space for Dugger on the 53-man roster.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: BREAKING: Steelers Make Splash, Trade for Patriots Safety Kyle Dugger
