New England Patriots - NESN.com
It’s almost incomprehensible how far Kyle Dugger has fallen out of favor with the New England Patriots.
Dugger once was a staple of the defense who looked to be a fixture for years after signing an extension before last season. Now, he’s been relegated as far down as scout team reps as one player after another seemingly passes him on the depth chart.
Although top decision-maker Eliot Wolf said Monday that he still sees a role for Dugger, it’s tough to envision what that is.
Dugger never found his footing in 2024. An ankle injury sidelined him for Week 5, then he was out Weeks 8-10 after re-aggravating the injury. When he was on the field he didn’t bring much of an impact, resulting in a woeful ranking of 158 out of 171 safeties in Pro Football Focus’ grading of the position.
Fellow safety Jabrill Peppers on Monday invoked the ankle troubles Dugger dealt with last season when asked about his teammate.
“That’s my dog. He understands, it’s his process,” Peppers told reporters Monday. “He’s coming back from the ankle injury, but he’s going to do what he has to do. I’m not worried about Dug.”
Perhaps giving Dugger needs more runway to get back in form. Gambling with that is probably safer than just eating the $14.25 million, according to Over The Cap, needed to cut him.
Time will tell, but at this juncture it is tough to imagine Dugger’s time in New England continuing through 2025.
