The New England Patriots have agreed to trade safety Kyle Dugger to the Pittsburgh Steelers, league sources told The Athletic on Tuesday. The teams will swap a sixth-round and seventh-round draft pick as part of the deal.
Dugger has spent his entire career with New England, which selected him with a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He started 69 of the 81 career games he’s played but has been mostly used as a back up for the Patriots this season. He’s been on the field for 44 percent of New England’s defensive snaps this year compared to 90 percent in 2024.
TRADE: The Steelers are dealing for Patriots S Kyle Dugger, per sources.
Pittsburgh gets more back-end help after DeShon Elliott’s injury, adding a second former New England safety in as many months. pic.twitter.com/ZMRfzNZkqB
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) October 28, 2025
Why the Steelers made the move
The Steelers’ secondary absorbed a major blow on Sunday when starting strong safety DeShon Elliott sustained a knee injury. On Tuesday, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin categorized it as a hyperextended knee.
In Elliott’s absence, the Steelers are missing a physical, downhill safety who can make an impact against the run and cover tight ends. Dugger fits the mold.
While he lost playing time in New England this year, over his six year career, Dugger established himself as a reliable player in the box and in coverage. His best season came in 2023, when he logged a career-best 109 tackles.
Given the need, Dugger is likely to compete for starting reps immediately. The other main contenders are Chuck Clark and Jabrill Peppers. Others like Juan Thornhill and Jalen Ramsey will also play safety this year; however, they are more so free safety body types and not the aggressive run-stuffers the Steelers were missing. — Mike DeFabo, Steelers beat writer
Why the Patriots made the move
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel’s overhaul of New England’s roster continues. After he flipped half of the roster in the offseason, Vrabel sent two veterans out of New England Tuesday, with Dugger and Keion White both on the move.
Dugger’s peak moments with the Patriots were so good. He put together an incredible 2022 season and a very good 2023 season as his ball skills showed, and he was an enforcer as an in-the-box safety. But a lingering ankle injury hurt his speed in 2024 and Dugger never got back to the level of play pre-injury.
He was slated to be a starter for the Patriots before the season, but his role clearly dipped in training camp and he went from a captain in 2024 to a backup in 2025.
If his speed returns, Dugger can be the kind of big safety who makes a big impact.
Still, his signing was among the worst in a slew of bad contracts the Patriots handed out after Bill Belichick left the team and with Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf in charge. The Pats signed him to a four-year, $58 million contract. Eighteen months later, they traded him. — Chad Graff, Patriots beat writer
What this means for New England
Similar to the Patriots’ trade of White, this ups the importance for the Patriots to seek safety help.
Granted the need at that spot isn’t as big as edge rusher, but the Pats are left with very little proven depth at safety after trading Dugger, considering they cut Peppers just before the season.
Craig Woodson and Jaylinn Hawkins have played well as the team’s surprising starting tandem, but the Pats could be in trouble if either misses time due to injury. Dell Pettus and special teamer Brenden Schooler are the backups now.
So while this move paints the picture of the Patriots as sellers, the expectation is they’ll make at least one trade for a player before the deadline next week.
They certainly have plenty of ammunition to make a move. After Tuesday’s pair of trades, the Patriots have 10 picks in the 2026 draft, all in the first six rounds. — Graff
Can Dugger make a difference?
There’s no question the Steelers had a glaring need at safety. But will this addition make a meaningful difference? The Steelers already built a roster full of All-Pros and future Hall of Famers on defense. Yet, Pittsburgh’s underperforming defense is one of the worst in the league in numerous statistical categories. The Steelers are 32nd against the pass (273.3 yards per game) and 30th in yards allowed per game (386). Any fix on defense is going to be about more than just adding bodies to a group that already should have enough talent to be successful — or at least average. — DeFabo