Steelers Acquire Rival’s $58 Million Safety With DeShon Elliott Injured: Report

The Pittsburgh Steelers wasted no time filling the hole created from DeShon Elliott’s injury. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday night the Steelers have acquired veteran safety Kyle Dugger from the New England Patriots.

Schefter posted on X the Steelers agreed to send a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Patriots for Dugger and a 2026 seventh-rounder.

The Steelers traded for Dugger just hours after the team reported signed veteran safety Darrick Forrest to the practice squad.

Head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters Tuesday that Elliott would miss Week 9 because of a knee injury. Elliott suffered the knee ailment Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.

The knee injury initially appeared to be significant. Tomlin referred to the starting safety as week-to-week.

The Patriots traded Dugger less than two seasons into the four-year, $58 million extension he signed with the team before 2024.

Steelers Acquire Patriots Safety Kyle Dugger

On Tuesday, Tomlin left open the possibility of Elliott not landing on injured reserve because of his knee issue. Whether that’s the case or not, the Steelers are clearly not taking any chances.

With Dugger, Tomlin’s defense has added an experienced, veteran starter. As Schefter indicated, Dugger fell out of favor in New England under new head coach Mike Vrabel.

At the end of the Bill Belichick era and under Jerod Mayo, Dugger started 65 contests over five seasons. This year, he started four of seven games in New England. He had 17 combined tackles while playing 44% of New England’s defensive snaps.

Dugger also played 44% of the Patriots’ special teams snaps before the trade.

Last season, Dugger lined up for 90% of New England’s defensive snaps in 13 contests. He played a career high 1,115 defensive snaps (98% of the team’s defensive plays) during 2023.

How Quickly Will Dugger Play for Steelers?

The Steelers adding two safeties Tuesday could be an indication they expect Elliott to miss significant time. If that’s the case, the Steelers defense will lose a safety that has experienced success in his career as both a run stopper and pass defender.

Tomlin addressed what the team will lose without Elliott, who will at least miss Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts.

“He’s a significant component of what we do, particularly relative to some of the things that Indy does well,” Tomlin told reporters Tuesday. “He is a central figure in our secondary in terms of run defense for example. He covers tight ens in passing circumstances, so certainly, we have some adapting to do in terms of how we divide the labor up this week.

“But that’s always the case when you lose someone, particularly someone significant. It’s not a one-person job. It’s a multiple-person job.”

The Steelers likely see Dugger as a potential starter replacement for Elliott. But given those Tomlin comments (which were made before the trade), Dugger is probably not going to step right into Elliott’s role in less than a week.

As Dugger learns the Steelers defensive system, the team will probably lean on Chuck Clark and Jabrill Peppers to play next to Juan Thornhill at safety.

In 81 career NFL games, Dugger has posted 441 combined tackles, including 25 tackles for loss. He also has 24 pass defense, nine interceptions and 3.5 sacks.

His best statistical season was in 2023 when he had 109 combined tackles, seven pass defenses, 1.5 sacks and two interceptions.

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.

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