New England Patriots trade Kyle Dugger to the Pittsburgh Steelers... a year after handing him a $58m contract
Kyle Dugger is out at the Patriots after five seasons and has been traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers on a big day of moving parts in New England.
Dugger only signed a new four-year, $58million contract last year but Mike Vrabel's arrival with the team has seen his role diminish.
He is heading to the Steelers - joining his former Patriots safety teammate Jabrill Peppers - in exchange for a sixth-round pick, per Adam Schefter.
It has been a big day of trades and contract news for New England, who earlier handed cornerback Marcus Jones a new three-year, $36million deal.
Earlier this evening, they also traded defensive end Keion White to the San Francisco 49ers for a sixth and seventh-rounder in next year's draft.
Dugger's move is a bigger surprise, given his 69 games for the Patriots over the past five seasons, recording nine interceptions along the way.
He was drafted out of Lenoir–Rhyne in the second round by New England in 2020 and has only ever played for the Patriots.
So far this season, Dugger has played in seven games for the Patriots, last suiting up a week ago in the 31-13 win over the Tennessee Titans.
He didn't come on the field against the Browns on Sunday, and Jaylinn Hawkins is the team's starting safety.
In Pittsburgh, the Steelers are placing DeShon Elliott - who has a knee injury - on IR to make room for Dugger, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
It has been an impressive season for the Patriots so far, who are 6-2 and sit atop the AFC East, ahead of the Buffalo Bills.
Drake Maye has been impressive at quarterback and the Patriots - under Vrabel - look a force to be reckoned with this season.
The Steelers, meanwhile, are adding parts while also enjoying an impressive year themselves, with Aaron Rodgers under center.
The team is also top of its division, a 4-3 record good enough to be ahead of the Bengals, Ravens and Browns in the AFC North.
Cowboys Trade for Myles Garrett Just Got a Lot More Likely After New Report
A notable NFL insider has offered up a detailed explanation for why the Dallas Cowboys making a blockbuster trade for Myles Garrett in the next week is very realistic.
After the Cleveland Browns gave superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett a four-year extension worth $160 million earlier this year, it seemed even more likely that the six-time Pro Bowler would actually finish his career in Cleveland. Then Week 8 happened.
On Sunday, Garrett had a game of a lifetime as he posted five sacks against the New England Patriots. However, it meant nothing as the Browns were still blown out by a score of 32-13. Garrett was seen enraged on the sidelines late in the game, and speculation grew louder that he could push for an exit like he reportedly did earlier this year.
However, many around the game believe his massive contract would make a trade very difficult. But, according to ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano, that may not necessarily be the case. He admits that trading Garrett now would mean a big dead cap hit to Cleveland in the years ahead. But various teams have taken on bigger cap hits while getting nothing in return.
“That’s a lot of dead money, but it’s not even close to the record,” Graziano writes. “The Broncos took on about $80 million when they cut Russell Wilson last year, and they made the playoffs last season and look poised to do so again. The Buccaneers are still carrying Tom Brady’s dead money and they won their division every season. We see teams do this more and more as the salary cap continues to rise significantly each year.”
Cowboys could create perfect draft scenario for Browns in Myles Garrett trade
Along with that, Graziano added that there are two other key factors in a potential trade before the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline. First, Garrett has to want it. Considering the Browns’ long-term outlook and where he would go in the deal, waiving his no-trade clause shouldn’t be a big problem. But Cleveland also must get an offer that makes it worth taking on all that dead money.
Well, the Cowboys are one of the few teams that can make the sort of offer the Browns would want, and that is two first-round picks in April, according to Graziano. After the Micah Parsons trade, they will have two first-rounders in 2026, and following his exit, they still have a desperate need for pass-rushing help this season and beyond.
- Myles Garrett stats: 8 games, 10 sacks, 31 tackles, 15 tackles for loss
“Cleveland would be looking at the possibility of having four first-round selections in the 2026 draft,” Graziano wrote. “The Browns would be able to completely control Round 1 and come out of it with whichever quarterback they wanted. The acquiring team would have to pay Garrett a fairly reasonable $31.5 million in fully guaranteed money in 2026 and about $30.5 million in 2027.”
Based on those details, it sure seems like a blockbuster Myles Garrett trade for the Dallas Cowboys is there for the taking if the star pass rusher really wants out. Especially since the Browns could have a franchise-changing draft next year from what they could get in the deal.
