Steelers Amend Kyle Dugger’s Contract
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.
Steelers To Acquire S Kyle Dugger From Pats
The Steelers saw starting safety DeShon Elliott go down with a knee injury in a Week 8 loss to the Packers. They’re acting quickly to address the position. Pittsburgh will acquire safety Kyle Dugger and a 2026 seventh-round pick from New England for a 2026 sixth-rounder, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
This is the second trade of Tuesday for the Patriots, who previously sent defensive end Keion White and a seventh-rounder to the 49ers for a sixth-rounder.
At 5-2 and atop the AFC East, the Patriots aren’t in position to sell leading up to the Nov. 4 trade deadline. However, both Dugger and White fell out of favor this year under new head coach Mike Vrabel.
A second-round pick of the Bill Belichick regime in 2020, Dugger quickly emerged as a key cog in the Patriots’ defense. He started between 13 and 17 games in each season from 2021-24 and racked up nine interceptions during that span.
The Patriots handed Dugger a four-year, $58MM extension with $32.5MM in guarantees in April 2024, locking him up through 2027. Despite that expensive commitment, Dugger emerged as a trade candidate late last summer when it became clear he was no longer a clean fit in the Patriots’ defense.
The Patriots held on to Dugger for the first couple months of the season, but he experienced a significant dip in playing time during the team’s hot start. Before the trade, Dugger saw action in a meager 38.4% of defensive snaps while working behind starting safeties Craig Woodson and Jaylinn Hawkins. Pro Football Focus ranks Dugger’s 2025 performance 62nd among 88 qualifying safeties. With Dugger gone, Dell Pettus and Brenden Schooler are now the Patriots’ main reserves at safety.
The 29-year-old Dugger will now have a chance at a larger role with another division leader in Pittsburgh, which will place Elliott on IR, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Elliott will miss at least four games, which left the Steelers in the market for immediate help at safety. Pittsburgh will face four straight postseason contenders – the Colts, Chargers, Bengals, and Bears – with Elliott on the shelf.
The 4-3 Steelers have dropped two games in a row, largely as a result of an inability to stop the pass. Quarterbacks Joe Flacco (Bengals) and Jordan Love (Packers) combined to shred the Steelers for 702 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions over the past two weeks. Typically known for boasting a vaunted defense, the Steelers rank dead last in the league in passing yards per game allowed (273.3).
Dugger will now join a Steelers safety group consisting of Juan Thornhill, Chuck Clark, and former Patriots teammate Jabrill Peppers. He and Peppers often started next to each other in New England from 2022-24. Peppers has taken on a reserve role in his first season in Pittsburgh, but Dugger could regain a starting job now that he’s headed to the Steel City.
Saints Open To Trading WR Rashid Shaheed
The Saints have two receivers drawing heavy trade interest and another who has been dealt four times in a well-traveled career. New Orleans also turned to the trade market to acquire a wideout, having sent fourth- and seventh-round pick to obtain Devaughn Vele from the Broncos in August.
As the deadline nears, however, the Saints are 1-7. The team appears prepared to retain Chris Olave, who is under contract (via the fifth-year option) through 2026. At this point in his career, Brandin Cooks is unlikely to fetch much (if anything) in a trade. The former New Orleans first-round pick has not shown much in his return to Louisiana. This leaves Rashid Shaheed as the trade chip to monitor, and it does appear New Orleans is ready to seriously listen to interest.
Expecting at least one of the Saints’ wideouts to be traded by the Nov. 4 deadline, ESPN’s Adam Schefter points to Shaheed as the player interesting most WR-needy teams. With an Olave extension appearing more likely than a trade, Shaheed appears the consolation prize. The speedy Olave sidekick is in a contract year, and his production — in a trade market lacking big names — provides natural interest to clubs hoping to upgrade their respective situations. Teams have been in on Shaheed for multiple weeks.
The Saints are using Shaheed a bit differently this year. Having averaged at least 15.6 yards per catch in each of his first three seasons (and over 17 in two of them), the former UDFA is at just 11.1 per reception this year. The Weber State product, though, is on pace to smash his career high for receptions. He already has 39 grabs for 431 yards. The 2023 season (46 catches, 719 yards) represents his best thus far, but WR-needy teams are on the lookout. And Shaheed’s situation could be upgraded soon.
New Orleans has seen flashes from Spencer Rattler, but after last week’s benching, the team is transitioning to second-round rookie Tyler Shough. Olave, Cooks and Vele would represent a workable trio for Shough (even if Vele has disappointed post-trade), and compounded with the Dolphins keeping Jaylen Waddle out of trade talks, Shaheed could command a nice return for a Saints team in need of cost-controlled talent (as the restructure-heavy franchise’s annual cap troubles are coming again in 2026).
Coming up in our previous offering about Saints wideouts, the Bills, Broncos and Steelers are among the teams who have made calls on wideouts recently. Pittsburgh’s Marquez Valdes-Scantling pickup is unlikely to deter more trade interest from the AFC North leaders, and the Bills’ Week 8 dismantling of the Panthers did not feature much in the passing game. The Broncos did see Troy Franklin produce his best career game Sunday, but they do not have a consistent second option — even if Franklin is emerging — behind Courtland Sutton. Shaheed did not overlap with Sean Payton, but the Broncos’ roster has many ex-Saints, and Shaheed did play under Pete Carmichael (in a system closely resembling Payton’s offense) for two seasons. Carmichael is a senior offensive assistant in Denver.
Shaheed and the Raiders’ Jakobi Meyers may be the top options for receiver-focused teams. Both profile as rentals, though an acquiring team would obviously hold exclusive negotiating rights until the March tampering period, but Shaheed is two years younger. Playing an age-27 season, Shaheed will be a key free agent to monitor — that is, if an acquiring team does not extend him — come 2026.
The Saints will need to make a decision soon. They could collect a possible Day 2 pick for a player obtained after the 2022 draft. That would help the Mickey Loomis–Kellen Moore operation ahead of the 2026 draft.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/28/25
Today’s practice squad transactions from across the NFL:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB AJ Woods
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: T Michael Tarquin
- Released: CB Michael Reid
Denver Broncos
- Released: OLB Garrett Nelson, WR Samori Toure
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR Justin Shorter
- Released: LB Brian Asamoah II
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: WR Tyler Scott
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: CB Ethan Robinson
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: CB Kendall Sheffield
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: S K’Von Wallace
New England Patriots
- Signed: RB Rushawn Baker, RB Jonathan Ward
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: RB Jashaun Corbin
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Swayze Bozeman
- Released: WR Juice Wells Jr.
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Parry Nickerson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: S Darrick Forrest
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: T Andre Dillard
- Released: T Brandon Parker
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: CB Kemon Hall, WR Hal Presley
- Released: LB Ochaun Mathis
Washington Commanders
- Released: K Matthew Wright
The Steelers have seen injuries ravage their secondary in recent weeks. They made a big move not long ago to address the position, but Forrest comes in with some additional experience, providing depth at safety.
The 49ers are letting go of Parker, a former third-round pick who failed to find success with the Raiders, in order to make room for Dillard, a former first-round pick who failed to ever establish himself as a full-time starter in the NFL. Dillard spent the offseason with San Francisco, eventually getting released from injured reserve with an injury settlement. He’s been a free agent ever since and now signs his first ever practice squad deal.
After getting signed to the Commanders’ practice squad to fill in for an injured Matt Gay last night, Wright returns to free agency. In a low-scoring Sunday night affair, Wright made his only kick — a single extra point attempt.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/28/25
Here are Tuesday’s minor NFL moves as the headlines are taken up by bigger names due to the impending trade deadline:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DT Tommy Akingbesote
Carolina Panthers
- Signed off 49ers’ practice squad: OLB Trevis Gipson
- Waived: DT Jaden Crumedy
Chicago Bears
- Activated from IR: DE Austin Booker
- Placed on IR: DL Shemar Turner (story)
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on IR: LB Shaka Heyward, C Matt Lee
- Released: DT Mike Pennel
Denver Broncos
- Activated from commissioners/suspended list: LB Dre Greenlaw
- Released: QB Sam Ehlinger
Los Angeles Chargers
- Practice window opened: CB Deane Leonard
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: CB Tre Brown
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on IR: CB Storm Duck (story)
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers (from Browns): CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse
- Placed on IR: RB Cam Skattebo (story)
New York Jets
- Waived: WR Brandon Smith
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived (with injury settlement): DT Domenique Davis
Tennessee Titans
- Signed off Packers’ practice squad: CB Micah Robinson
- Signed off Patriots’ practice squad: OLB Truman Jones
- Placed on IR: OLB Ali Gaye
The Bengals cleared out a few roster spots today as Heyward will need about four weeks to work his way back from a hairline fracture in his fibula. Pennel, a 12-year veteran on the interior defensive line, had started to cede his defensive snaps to younger options and found himself falling down the depth chart despite appearing in every game this season. He requested his release from the team, and it was granted.
Similar to when San Francisco brought Greenlaw back from injured reserve, the 49ers are releasing Ehlinger to make room on the 53-man roster. Like last time, the plan is for Ehlinger to remain in Denver via an addition to the practice squad tomorrow.
Latest On DeShon Elliott; Steelers Work Out Vonn Bell, Eddie Jackson
While a report on Monday indicated that injured Steelers safety DeShon Elliott could miss the rest of the season, that may not be the case. Head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Elliott is “week-to-week,” adding that the team hasn’t discussed whether he’ll go on injured reserve (via Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com).
While Elliott suffered a knee injury in a 35-25 loss to the Packers in Week 8, his ACL is reportedly intact. It does seem that the 28-year-old starter will miss time, though, and an IR placement would force a four-game absence.
The Steelers have dropped to 4-3 after losing two straight, but they’re still atop the AFC North. Over the next four weeks, they’ll face three AFC playoff hopefuls – the Colts, Chargers, and Bengals – before a meeting with the Bears.
Although the rival Bengals are a subpar 3-5, that’s good enough for second in the division. They defeated the Steelers in the teams’ first matchup in Week 7. Elliott led the Steelers with nine tackles in that game, but Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco went off for 342 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-31 shootout. The Steelers’ defense had a similarly rough time last Sunday against Green Bay QB Jordan Love, who completed 29 of 37 passes for 360 yards and three scores.
Thanks to Elliott’s injury, Pittsburgh’s struggling defense is down to Juan Thornhill, Chuck Clark, and Jabrill Peppers as its top options at safety. Looking to bolster their depth, the Steelers worked out free agents Vonn Bell and Eddie Jackson on Tuesday, according to Pryor.
A second-round pick of the Saints in 2016, Bell has spent a large portion of his career with the Bengals. In his second stint with Cincinnati last year, Bell played in all 17 of the team’s games, made 11 starts, and added 55 tackles and an interception. The 30-year-old has 117 starts on his resume, but he has gone without a deal since last season ended.
The Steelers are also familiar with Jackson, who played nine games with the division rival Ravens in 2024. They waived Jackson in late November, and he went on to appear in two games with the Chargers after they signed him to their practice squad.
Now 31, Jackson enjoyed plenty of success earlier in his career with the Bears after they used a fourth-round pick on him in 2017. Jackson stayed in Chicago through 2023, starting in all 100 of his games with the team, intercepting 15 passes, and earning two Pro Bowl nods. Like Bell, Jackson has gone unsigned since the end of last season.
Steelers’ DeShon Elliott Unlikely To Return This Season
The Steelers lost defensive lineman Daniel Ekuale to a season-ending ACL tear in a 35-25 defeat against the Packers on Sunday. Safety DeShon Elliott, who also suffered a knee injury in Week 8, could join Ekuale on the shelf for the rest of the season. While Elliott’s ACL is intact, he’s unlikely to return this year, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Elliott missed two games in September with a knee injury, but the 28-year-old has otherwise started in all five appearances this season. A former Raven, Lion, and Dolphin, Elliott has amassed 69 starts in 77 games since entering the NFL in 2019.
After joining the Steelers on a two-year, $6MM contract in 2024, Elliott totaled a career-high 108 tackles with six passes defensed, three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, and an interception over 15 games (14 starts). The Steelers were impressed enough to award Elliott a two-year, $12.5MM extension with $9.21MM in guarantees last June.
Elliott was off to a productive start this season before exiting on a cart in the second half on Sunday. He has picked up 38 tackles, two passes defensed, a forced fumble, and an interception. Pro Football Focus ranks Elliott 25th among 88 qualifying safeties this year. Unfortunately for Elliott and the Steelers, it doesn’t appear he’ll be able to add to those numbers during the final 10 games of the season.
The Steelers are still atop the AFC North, but they’re an unspectacular 4-3 after dropping two straight games. Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco and Packers QB Jordan Love torched the Steelers in those contests. They combined to complete 60 of 84 passes (71%) for 702 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Before a rematch with the second-place Bengals (3-5) in Week 11, Pittsburgh will face two other AFC contenders in the 7-1 Colts and the 5-3 Chargers. Losing Elliott heading into those matchups is an unwelcome development, but it appears the Steelers will have to proceed with Juan Thornhill, Chuck Clark, and Jabrill Peppers as their top safety options.
Steelers To Sign Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Aaron Rodgers has not thrown his weight around in Pittsburgh to the degree he did in New York, but one of his former targets will join him in Pennsylvania. Marquez Valdes-Scantling‘s Steelers workout will produce a deal, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.
This marks another nomadic year for Valdes-Scantling, who spent time with the Seahawks and 49ers. In 2024, he moved from Kansas City to Buffalo to New Orleans. This Pittsburgh trek does provide a notable reunion, as Rodgers and MVS played together from 2018-21 in Green Bay.
[RELATED: Steelers Eyeing Second Season With Rodgers]
The Buccaneers also showed interest in the veteran deep threat, according to veteran insider Jordan Schultz, who adds the Steelers were interested after his Seahawks release. Dropped by two teams since August, Valdes-Scantling preferred the Rodgers reunion at this stage, per Schultz.
Now 31, MVS has lost considerable value since his three-year, $30MM Chiefs pact. But the Steelers will hope some familiarity can help — even if this is probably not the end of their much-rumored wideout pursuit. They were previously linked to Jakobi Meyers and Calvin Ridley.
Valdes-Scantling is still collecting guaranteed money from the Seahawks, who gave him a one-year deal worth $4MM. Seattle ate $3MM fully guaranteed by cutting MVS out of training camp. The reunion with Klint Kubiak proved short-lived, but the receiver-needy 49ers gave him a shot. That partnership ended earlier this month with an injury settlement. The eighth-year veteran appears ready to contribute in Pittsburgh, though Fowler adds this is likely a practice squad deal to start.
After making aggressive pursuits of receivers — most notably Brandon Aiyuk — last year, the Steelers are at it again. They have not seen anyone emerge as a reliable D.K. Metcalf complementary piece. Months ago, they came up as a potential destination for ex-MVS/Rodgers Packers teammate Allen Lazard. No move has transpired, but the team has been tied to the WR market once again. With Jaylen Waddle and Chris Olave not expected to be moved, pickings appear slim for teams eyeing help here ahead of the November 4 deadline.
The Steelers, who did see Calvin Austin return to action Sunday night after a two-game absence, do not have a second wideout beyond 175 yards. Austin sits at 167, with Roman Wilson at 110. Tight ends have served as Rodgers auxiliary options. Valdes-Scantling played in five 49ers games this season, catching four passes for 40 yards. After being a Bills in-season release, MVS caught on with the Saints and impressed, posting 17 catches for 385 yards and four TDs.
This reunion comes after Rodgers influenced the Jets to sign Lazard and Randall Cobb in 2023, when they also hired ex-Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett to the same position and signed ex-Green Bay blocker Billy Turner. Rodgers later pushed for Davante Adams at the 2024 trade deadline, getting his wish. The Steelers are more or less throwing a dart by placating Rodgers via this transaction, but it would not surprise to see MVS — who was part of Rodgers’ third and fourth MVP seasons (2020-21) — see time soon due to his familiarity with Pittsburgh’s high-profile QB.
The Bucs are currently without Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan. And Emeka Egbuka recently returned from a hamstring injury. For now, they will hope Godwin — who is not on IR — can make a near-future return to complement Egbuka. The team still has Sterling Shepard as a No. 3 option in that reality, with rookie Tez Johnson being utilized amid the injuries as well.
Steelers DL Daniel Ekuale Suffers ACL Tear
The Steelers’ defense is a group which has received considerable criticism so far this season. The unit will be without a depth contributor moving forward. 
Daniel Ekuale went down during yesterday’s loss against the Packers. The veteran defensive lineman has since been diagnosed with a torn ACL, Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report. As a result, he will miss the remainder of the campaign.
Ekuale has bounced around the AFC over the course of his career. The former UDFA saw time with the Browns and Jaguars before a four-year run in New England. Ekuale’s Patriots tenure saw him log 16 starts, each of which came last season. In 2024, he comfortably set a new career high with 52 tackles while playing over 700 defensive snaps.
Prior to yesterday’s injury, Ekuale had only been on the field for 14% of the Steelers’ snaps. That marked a career low in terms of workload, but his absence will still deal a blow to a Pittsburgh defensive front over the remainder of the season. Ekuale, 31, signed a one-year deal in March to come to Pittsburgh. Needless to say, today’s injury news will greatly hinder his value on the open market next spring.
Pittsburgh moved Dean Lowry to injured reserve this summer, ending his 2025 campaign before it began. The team has Cameron Heyward and Keeanu Benton, along with rookies Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black, remaining on the depth chart along the defensive line. That group will be counted on to continue operating as key figures on the defensive interior moving forward. Ekuale, meanwhile, will now turn his attention to a lengthy recovery process.
Bills Pursuing Trade For WR, S; Saints’ Rashid Shaheed A Possible Target?
The Bills have lost two in a row and find themselves in an unexpected fight with the Patriots for first place in the AFC East. Buffalo’s top three wideouts – Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, and Josh Palmer – have not been terribly productive, and as NFL.com’s Eric Edholm observes, the team has not put up more than 245 net passing yards since Week 1. As such, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports hears the Bills could be on the lookout for WR help at the trade deadline.
The fact that Brandon Beane’s trade for Amari Cooper last October did not pan out as hoped presumably will not deter the GM from exploring the receiver market again this year. Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic (subscription required) acknowledges the Saints’ Rashid Shaheed is not as clean of a schematic fit for the Bills as New Orleans teammate Chris Olave would be, but the contract-year Shaheed is a more realistic trade candidate than Olave, whom the Saints are seeking to extend (and who is unlikely to be dealt). Buscaglia names the Raiders’ Jakobi Meyers and the Ravens’ Rashod Bateman as other pass catchers Beane could consider.
Albert Breer of SI.com also identifies Shaheed as a potential target for the Bills. As an impending free agent on a losing team, the 27-year-old speedster is drawing trade interest from around the league, so Buffalo could have competition for his services. Shaheed has caught 30 passes for 356 yards and two touchdowns and has averaged 14.0 yards on eight punt returns.
Las Vegas is reportedly open to trading Meyers, a 2026 free agent. However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter says the Raiders will not simply give him away despite his expiring contract and their 2-5 record, and they will only move him if they get “strong value” in exchange. As of yet, such an offer has not been presented to Vegas brass.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required) confirms the Bills are looking for a reinforcement at wide receiver, but Buffalo will have company in that regard. The Broncos and Steelers were previously named as clubs in the WR hunt, and Schefter reports Denver and Pittsburgh join the Bills as the teams that have been the most aggressive in pursuing a pass-catching upgrade.
Russini says Buffalo is looking into the safety market as well. That makes sense in light of the fact that Buffalo was recently forced to place Taylor Rapp on injured reserve, and Buscaglia suggests a reunion with cornerback (and current Dolphin) Rasul Douglas is another way the team could upgrade its pass defense.
That said, the Bills’ 31st-ranked run defense has been a more pressing issue. To that end, Buscaglia names Jets DT Harrison Phillips and Browns DT Maliek Collins as potential fits.
But, as Edholm points out, the Bills have just $2.5MM of cap space at the moment, so Beane may need to be creative as he seeks ways to upgrade his roster prior to the November 4 deadline.