The Steelers made a notable addition to their secondary on Tuesday in acquiring safety Kyle Dugger from the Patriots. While Dugger entered the day under contract through 2027, that is no longer the case. The last two years of his deal “have been wiped out,” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. He’ll reach free agency after the season.
Then an important part of New England’s defense, Dugger inked a four-year, $58MM extension with the team in April 2024. Dugger remained a full-time starter last year, the lone season of the Jerod Mayo era. Things changed this season under new head coach Mike Vrabel, who demoted Dugger to a backup role.
Dugger, who entered the season with a $9.25MM base salary, is still owed around $5.4MM (plus $1MM in per-game roster bonuses). The Patriots will pay the majority of it, per Rapoport.
With Dugger now on track to hit the open market in the offseason, he’s a low-cost rental for the AFC North-leading Steelers. Not only did the Steelers (4-3) drop their second straight game in Week 8, but they lost starting safety DeShon Elliott to a knee injury. They placed Elliott on IR to make room for Dugger. Elliott is set to miss at least four games, which will leave Dugger, Juan Thornhill, Jabrill Peppers (previously teammates with Dugger in New England), and Chuck Clark as Pittsburgh’s healthy options at safety.
With 81 NFL games, 69 starts, and nine interceptions on Dugger’s resume, the Steelers are hopeful that he’ll aid their last-ranked pass defense. Dugger is in line to make his Steelers debut this Sunday against the 7-1 Colts, owners of the best record in the league and the top-ranked offense.