Steelers Now
As of Thursday morning, Kyle Dugger is officially a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team announced in a press release that he’ll wear No. 29 in black and gold.
It’s not a number that holds much weight in the Steel City.
Seven different Steelers players have worn No. 29 in the past eight years. Cornerbacks Brian Allen (2017-18), Kameron Kelly (2019) and Levi Wallace (2022-23) have sported the digit during that stretch, as well as safety Ryan Watts (2024). The others to take the field in a No. 29 jersey since 2018 are tailbacks Wendell Smallwood (2020), Kalen Ballage (2020) and, most recently, Aaron Shampklin (2024).
The most notable player to wear the number for the Steelers is Barry Foster, who rushed for 3,943 yards and 26 touchdowns from 1990-94. He was a first-team Associated Press All-Pro in 1992 and finished as the runner-up in AP NFL MVP voting behind San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young.
Dugger wore No. 35 as a rookie with the New England Patriots before switching to No. 23 ahead of the 2021 go-round. He wore that number there until being shipped to the Steelers. Veteran cornerback Darius Slay wears No. 23 for Pittsburgh, which meant Dugger had to switch it up.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Reveal Kyle Dugger’s Jersey Number
