Sitting at 6-2 thus far on the season, very few would have expected the New England Patriots to part ways with too many key pieces ahead of the NFL trade deadline. However, on Tuesday, they surprised everyone by parting ways with a player who just recently signed a lucrative extension.
Since being selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Kyle Dugger has been an incredibly productive fixture in the Patriots’ secondary as a starting safety. As a result, after the 2024 season, the Patriots extended Dugger to a four-year $58 million extension.
Despite this, it seems as if Mike Vrabel’s first season as head coach of the Patriots has changed the trajectory of Dugger’s tenure in New England. Once a defensive captain and a starter with the Patriots, Dugger has ceded his starting job to Jaylinn Hawkins and is no longer a captain on the team.
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Duggar’s reduced role has seemingly made him an expendable piece that fielded interest around the league from a fellow AFC contender.
On Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Patriots reached a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers that will send Dugger to Pittsburgh. In return, New England will receive a seventh-round pick and swap sixth-round picks with the Steelers.
As for why this was seemingly the right time for the Patriots to make this move, Schefter alluded to Dugger not being a fit in Mike Vrabel’s defensive scheme in a follow-up social media post.
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This move comes shortly after the Patriots parted ways with another significant piece on defense Tuesday, as former second-round pick Keion White was dealt to the San Francisco 49ers.
Again, it’s certainly uncommon for a team like the Patriots to be parting ways with players instead of adding them. Clearly, Mike Vrabel must not have seen White or Duggar as high-impact players thus far this season.
Regardless, acquiring Duggar should certainly go a long way in bolstering the Steelers’ secondary, which is crucial given the group’s struggles in Week 8.
Notably, Packers star quarterback Jordan Love lit up the Steelers defense on Sunday night, throwing for 360 yards and three touchdowns in their 35-25 win over Pittsburgh. So Steelers fans are certainly hoping Dugger can help stop the bleeding in pass defense.
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