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Kyle Dugger

Patriots Set 53-Man Roster

August 26th, 2025 at 6:07pm CST by Ben Levine

Mike Vrabel‘s first roster as Patriots head coach is taking shape. The team announced the following moves as they set their initial 53-man roster:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR (designated for return):

Placed on IR:

In addition to cutting Strange, the organization also moved on from Demontrey Jacobs, who started 13 games for the Patriots last season. Elsewhere on the OL, it sounds like David Olajiga will land back on New England’s practice squad if he clears waivers, per Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald.

Perhaps the most surprising moves were the cuts the Patriots didn’t make. Kyle Dugger will stick around despite days of trade speculation. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Patriots did receive multiple trade offers for the safety, but his $9.75MM salary (and how much the Patriots would be forced to take on) was a hurdle during negotiations. Meanwhile, the Patriots are temporarily holding on to eight wide receivers, with players like Kendrick Bourne and Javon Baker making the squad.

Patriots Actively Shopping S Kyle Dugger

August 24th, 2025 at 11:13pm CST by Ely Allen

Patriots safety Kyle Dugger lived up to his second-round draft status very early in his New England career. As a result, the team signed him to a four-year, $58MM extension in 2024. Despite that commitment, the Patriots are actively shopping the safety out for a trade, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. We knew the team was open to trading him, but actively shopping him is an escalation.

Coming out of Division II Lenoir-Rhyne, it said a lot that the Patriots were willing to make Dugger the second safety selected in the 2020 NFL Draft as the fifth pick of the second round. With Duron Harmon getting traded in the offseason and Patrick Chung opting out of the season due to COVID-19, Dugger was named the primary backup to starting safeties Adrian Phillips and Devin McCourty as a rookie.

By Year 2, Dugger was a full-time starter, breaking onto the scene with four interceptions and 100 return yards. He followed that up with a career year in which he nabbed three interceptions, returning two for touchdowns in 2022. That year, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him as the 11th-best safety in the NFL.

PFF fell out of love with him after that season, though. In 2023, he had another productive season, intercepting two more passes and racking up 109 tackles, including a team-leading 71 solo tackles. That year, PFF graded him as the 68th-best safety in the NFL out of 95 players graded at the position. 2024 saw a year of decline for Dugger. Missing four games and seeing decreased production, Dugger graded as PFF’s 95th-best safety out of 98 players graded last year.

Per Rapoport, the new staff views Dugger much differently than the staff that extended him last April. As a result, Dugger has been seen playing deep into preseason games — when most starters and veterans have been safely removed from play — and had been taking second-team reps in training camp. The work with the second-team defense was due in part to his recovery from a tightrope surgery done to repair a high ankle sprain, but Dugger is reportedly fully healthy yet still, seemingly, on his way out.

When news broke that the Patriots were gauging trade interest for Dugger and outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings, the replies seemed to indicate that Jennings was drawing interest while Dugger’s new contract served as an obstacle for moving him, per Jeff Howe of The Athletic. It’s no wonder, considering how much impact the contract has on his ability to be cut.

If the Patriots were able to trade Dugger, they would be left with only $4.5MM in dead money and open up $10.76MM in cap space. If they can’t find a trade partner, though, it will be interesting to see if they cut him instead. Cutting Dugger would result in $14.25MM of dead money while only opening up $1.01MM of cap space. It’s hard to picture the team releasing the veteran in a move that would financially hamstring them that much.

So, it appears, they’ll continue to shop him out. They may have to find ways to make the trade more enticing by including draft picks or paying some bonuses to Dugger before the trade so that the receiving team is only responsible for base salary. Regardless, it feels as if Dugger may not have a place in New England as the staff actively works to shop him out.

Patriots Open To Trading S Kyle Dugger, OLB Anfernee Jennings

August 20th, 2025 at 11:08am CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Patriots are open to trading veteran defenders Kyle Dugger and Anfernee Jennings, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe.

Dugger, a five-year veteran with 65 career starts, has seen a role reduction under new defensive coordinator Terrell Williams. The Patriots just signed the 29-year-old safety to a four-year, $58MM extension last April, but this offseason’s regime change seems to have him on the outside of the roster bubble looking in.

Dugger’s contract – which includes $9.75MM of guaranteed money due this season, per OverTheCap – will be a major obstacle to a deal, per Howe and FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz. This close to the season, teams either don’t have the cap space or desire to absorb that much money, so the Patriots would likely need to eat some of Dugger’s 2025 salary to facilitate a deal.

Jennings, meanwhile, has impressed in the preseason with three sacks and and a 16.2% pass rush win rate, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), stirring up some interest around the league. His contract would be easier to move; an acquiring team would take on $4.3MM in 2025 ($1.35MM guaranteed) with essentially a $4MM team option for 2026, per OverTheCap. The Patriots, meanwhile, would only have to absorb $1MM in dead cap charges in 2025 and 2026.

The Patriots have the defensive depth to withstand the loss of either player. Fifth-year safety Jaylinn Hawkins has been taking first-team reps alongside Jabrill Peppers with fourth-round rookie Craig Woodson mixing in as well. At outside linebacker, veteran Harold Landry and 2023 second-rounder Keion White are poised to start with former first-rounder K’Lavon Chaisson and fifth-round rookie Bradyn Swinson providing depth.

Patriots S Kyle Dugger Demoted To Backup

August 14th, 2025 at 2:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

Kyle Dugger‘s name recently emerged as one to watch regarding a trade or release from the Patriots. The veteran safety’s status has come into question largely as a result of his demotion.

Dugger has taken snaps with the Patriots’ second-team defense in a number of practices, as detailed by Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. Jabrill Peppers and Jaylinn Hawkins have operated with the starters, with the same also being true of fourth-round rookie Craig Woodson. That has left Dugger alongside Marcus Epps with New England’s backups.

For most of his five-year Patriots tenure, Dugger has handled full-time starting duties. The former second-rounder was one of several defenders who received a new deal last offseason, inking a four-year, $58MM pact after receiving the transition tag. As a result, he is owed a guaranteed base salary of $9.75MM this season. Dugger is also slated to see injury guarantees vest in 2026, making his contract a difficult one to trade for (especially at this time of year).

Struggles in coverage have been a talking point throughout the 29-year-old’s career, but 2024 saw him surrender six touchdowns and a passer rating of 137.4 as the nearest defender. The arrival of Mike Vrabel and a new coaching staff has left Dugger with work to do in terms of reclaiming his familiar role on defense. Vrabel has left the door open, at least publicly, to the Lenoir-Rhyne product earning a starting gig.

“I think just making sure that he’s where he needs to be and understanding the coverage concepts and everything we do,” Vrabel said when asked about Dugger could regain a first-team spot. “Keep working and keep progressing. A lot of this is the guys that have earned a right to take a look with that first unit, and again, there’ll be different lineups and different things, so just focus on the reps that you get.”

Dugger has made between 78 and 109 tackles during his four seasons as a full-time starter, collecting nine interceptions during that span. That production is set to decrease significantly unless he manages to make up ground over the next few weeks.

Patriots LB Anfernee Jennings On Roster Bubble; S Kyle Dugger A Release/Trade Candidate?

August 10th, 2025 at 10:01pm CST by Rory Parks

Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings started 16 games last season and enjoyed a 79% snap share, both career-high marks. However, he may not be with the team in 2025.

As ESPN’s Mike Reiss observes, Jennings was playing late in the fourth quarter of New England’s first preseason game on Friday, which is not the typical milieu for an established player. In Reiss’ estimation, that is reflective of Jennings’ precarious spot on the roster.

Now entering the second year of the three-year, $12MM contract he signed in March 2024, Jennings has failed to make much of an impact as a pass rusher but has proven himself to be a stout defender against the run. He earned a stellar 85.9 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus in 2023, and though his grade slipped to 73.0 in 2024, he still turned in a solid showing.

While former head coaches Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo valued Jennings’ contributions as an edge-setter, new HC Mike Vrabel favors a more aggressive, penetrating style of play. Reiss says Jennings is firmly behind new acquisitions Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chaisson on the depth chart, and the sixth-year pro is competing with younger talents like Truman Jones, Bradyn Swinson, and Elijah Ponder.

New England would have to eat $3.35MM in dead money if it were to move on from Jennings and would realize cap savings of just under $2MM. Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal agrees with Reiss’ assessment of the situation and points out that Jennings has been “looking up at the depth chart” since spring practices began. Giardi suggests the Pats will indeed part ways with their 2020 third-rounder at some point.

Another 2020 draftee and stalwart on the Patriots’ defense, Kyle Dugger, could also be a release/trade candidate, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. While Dugger’s status in that regard could be more speculation than anything else at this point, Volin does say the 29-year-old has had a quiet camp and may only be on the roster because of his fully-guaranteed 2025 salary of $9.75MM (part of the four-year, $58MM deal he signed last April). 

That said, if another team is willing to absorb some money, Volin believes Dugger could be traded. But no other club produced an offer sheet after the Patriots put the transition tag on Dugger last year — though he did attract some interest at the trade deadline — and the Lenoir-Rhyne product’s frequent struggles in coverage continued in 2024. He allowed a massive 137.4 QB rating as the nearest defender, and PFF placed him near the very bottom of the league in terms of coverage grades.

In Sunday’s training camp practice, Dugger was running with the second-stringers, while rookie Craig Woodson took his place on the first-team unit (via Volin).

Patriots Prioritized Keeping Jonathan Jones, Received Calls On Kyle Dugger

November 12th, 2024 at 10:52am CST by Sam Robinson

With David Andrews out for the season, just one regular starter from the Patriots’ Super Bowl years remains in their lineup. Jonathan Jones is playing out his third contract with the team, doing so as a starting cornerback.

Now 31, Jones once teamed with the likes of Stephon Gilmore and the McCourty brothers for the previous Super Bowl-winning Pats squad. While Gilmore was only part of one Pats Super Bowl-winning team, Jones served as a regular for the 2016 and ’18 squads. As the Patriots play out the string in their first post-Bill Belichick season, they held onto the ninth-year veteran at the trade deadline.

Jones came up as a trade chip late last month, but it was reported the Pats were not interested in moving him. Jones effectively confirmed this by indicating front office boss Eliot Wolf (via ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss) informed him before the trade deadline he would not be moved. This locks in Jones to playing out a two-year, $19MM deal in New England.

As the Pats passed on re-signing Gilmore, trading the former Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, they found room for Jones. The latter re-signed as a free agent in 2023. Under Belichick, the Patriots were certainly not known for overpaying aging players. But the team had kept Devin McCourty and Dont’a Hightower in the fold while turning to other vets on middle-class contracts. Jones followed in those standouts’ footsteps, but as Wolf’s regime handed out a bevy of contracts to keep Belichick-era talent this offseason, the versatile cornerback was not among them. Jones is heading back toward free agency.

The former UDFA has settled in as an outside corner opposite ascending talent Christian Gonzalez. Pro Football Focus ranks the former Super Bowl-era slot performer 43rd among corners. It will be interesting to see if the Patriots eye another short-term deal with Jones in 2025, as his age will limit his market to a degree. They hold exclusive negotiating rights with Jones until the legal tampering period.

For now, Jones is helping a defense support a Drake Maye-led attack. Kyle Dugger joins him in that regard, but his name also came up at last week’s deadline. Calls came in on the fifth-year safety, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. As could be expected given the team’s offseason investment in Dugger, it does not appear serious talks took place.

Unlike the Giants with Xavier McKinney, the Pats did keep Dugger off the market by applying the transition tag. This provided a bridge to an extension agreed upon not long after. Dugger, 28, is attached to a four-year, $58MM deal that includes a fully guaranteed 2025 base salary ($9.75MM). Considering the dead money that would have come from trading Jones now (upwards of $16MM), it certainly is not surprising no serious Dugger trade rumors emerged.

Each of New England’s five DB regulars arrived under Belichick, with nearly the team’s entire defense consisting of additions from the fired HC/de facto GM’s time at the helm. Davon Godchaux also came up in trade talks, but the recently extended defender remains. The Pats did trade Matt Judon this summer and Josh Uche (to the Chiefs) at the deadline, so they will enter the offseason with a need on the edge. Jones’ impending free agency will require a decision at corner, though Dugger’s status ensures some safety stability moving forward.

Patriots’ Davon Godchaux, Kyle Dugger Not Expected To Be Traded

November 3rd, 2024 at 6:17pm CST by Adam La Rose

Josh Uche was recently traded away, and Sunday’s loss leaves the Patriots firmly in the seller’s category. More moves could be coming as a result, but a pair of defenders appear to be off limits for potential suitors.

Defensive tackle Davon Godchaux and safety Kyle Dugger are among the players who are not expected to be dealt ahead of the deadline, Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager reports (video link). On both counts, that comes as little surprise. Godchaux and Dugger each landed new contracts in the offseason, confirming their statues as members of the Bill Belichick era who were retained with Eliot Wolf and Jerod Mayo now at the helm.

Godcheaux was floated as a candidate for a trade sending him to the 49ers as a run-stopping reinforcement, but he made it clear he preferred to remain in New England. Barring something unforeseen, that will indeed prove to be the case. Dugger’s name had not previously been connected to serious negotiations, although Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Hearld notes calls have come in. It would come as a surprise if teams were willing to take on his four-year, $58MM pact (especially midway through a season).

As could be expected, New England has also turned aside trade calls asking about the availability of cornerback Christian Gonzalez. The 2023 first-rounder profiles as a foundational member of the team’s defense for many years, and he is set to be joined by Jonathan Jones in terms of staying in place beyond the November 5 deadline. The receiver spot remains one to watch closely over the coming days, though.

The Patriots have been shopping Tyquan Thornton in recent weeks, and K.J. Osborn‘s tumble down the depth chart could lead to his departure. The latter may end up being released in the event no trade partner is found, but in either event New England could be active in the immediate future (including, potentially, a move yielding an addition along the offensive line). Nonetheless, Godcheaux and Dugger should not be counted among the targets for teams looking to swing a deal.

AFC East Notes: Rodgers, Saleh, Pats, Bills

October 4th, 2024 at 2:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Aaron Rodgers‘ first season as a healthy quarterback, for all intents and purposes, under Robert Saleh has not started off on a smooth track. The incident in which the future Hall of Fame quarterback appeared to push the fourth-year Jets HC away following a Week 3 touchdown preceded a sequence in which Saleh’s views on the team’s Week 4 false-start penalties did not align with Rodgers’. Saleh entered the season on probably the AFC’s hottest seat, and Rodgers’ return represented the only reason ownership left the current power structure in play. So far, Rodgers is downplaying a rift exists.

“I think there’s some driving force to try and put a wedge [from] outside the facility between Robert and I,” Rodgers said, via the New York Post’s Brian Costello. “But, you know, we’re really good friends. We enjoy each other and we spend time [together]. Almost every day, I’m in his office talking about things and talking about the energy of the team, the focus of the team, what we need to get done, how I can help him out, how he can help me out. So we’ve got a great relationship.”

Rumblings about Rodgers-Saleh friction trace back to the embattled New York HC fining the QB for his trip to Egypt, which occurred during Gang Green’s minicamp. How not fining Rodgers would look to the locker room was at the root of that minor penalty, but the instances of perceived friction between coach and player are piling up. Rodgers’ denial probably will not do too much to cool down this plot, especially as the Jets struggle for consistency.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • Jerod Mayo warned of consequences for Rhamondre Stevenson, who has fumbled in each game this season. The recently extended Patriots back has received both public and private warnings about his RB1 status if this fumbling persists. “That’s definitely under consideration,” Mayo said of a demotion. “I’ve had multiple conversations with Rhamondre. But look, we can’t preach that ball security is job security and still have him out there the majority of the time.” Bill Belichick‘s leash was memorably shorter for fumble-prone RBs, but Mayo’s patience is now running thin. The 1-3 Pats gave Stevenson a four-year, $38MM extension this offseason, with $17.12MM fully guaranteed.
  • Mayo cited the Patriots’ offensive line issues when discussing Drake Maye‘s limited participation to open the preseason, and the team has suffered additional blows up front since. Starting four left tackles in four games, the Pats have missed guard starter Sidy Sow for part of this season and been without Cole Strange throughout. They have since placed third-round rookie Caedan Wallace on IR and are set to play without 10th-year center David Andrews the rest of the way. Pushing back on the notion New England’s O-line issues factor into why Maye is still behind Jacoby Brissett, OC Alex Van Pelt said (via the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed) that is not part of the team’s consideration. Maye began seeing first-team practice reps early this season, but the team is starting Brissett for a fifth game. The No. 3 overall pick almost definitely will play this season, though the Pats do not exactly have a good situation for a rookie QB.
  • Von Miller likely received his four-game suspension for the arrest on a charge of assaulting a pregnant person, despite the Bills edge rusher and his girlfriend — the alleged victim — denying any crime occurred. That said, The Athletic’s Tim Graham notes the Bills are not entirely sure why Miller was suspended. The team received word a suspension was coming days before it was official, Sean McDermott said. (via ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg). Nearly two years removed from his second ACL tear, Miller (three sacks) is playing much better than he did last year. The subject of a suspension voiding guarantees is now moot, as Miller’s 2024 salary is locked in (as a vested veteran); no guarantees remain for 2025 or 2026.
  • Kyle Dugger sustained an ankle injury, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the recently extended Patriots safety avoided a major issue. Dugger still could miss time for a reeling Pats team, though an IR stint may not be necessary.

Patriots, S Kyle Dugger Agree To Deal

April 11th, 2024 at 10:20am CST by Rory Parks

APRIL 11: Dugger’s new pact is guaranteed in full for its first two years; he will collect $29.75MM over that span, as detailed by the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin (the additional $2.75MM guaranteed, set to paid out in Year 3, is conditional). The contract includes an $18MM signing bonus along with per-game roster bonuses worth up to $5MM. Dugger’s cap hit will sit at $7.5MM in 2024 before rising to $11MM the following season, then $12.5MM and $13.5MM.

APRIL 7: Patriots safety Kyle Dugger is no longer on the transition tag. Per Mike Garafolo and Eric Edholm of NFL Media, player and team are in agreement on a four-year contract, which NFL Media colleague Ian Rapoport says has a base value of $58MM (including $32.5MM in guaranteed money). The maximum value, according to Rapoport, is $66MM.

This offseason, New England made it a point to retain its homegrown talent, re-signing players like Michael Onwenu, Anfernee Jennings, and Josh Uche. At one time, Dugger seemed the likeliest of that group to remain in Foxborough on a long-term basis, with the Patriots submitting a $13MM/year offer to the Lenoir-Rhyne product shortly before the deadline to apply the franchise or transition tag. The two sides were unable to come to terms prior to that deadline, which compelled the Pats to deploy the transition tag, but it ultimately did not take too long for an agreement to be consummated.

Per the rules of the transition tag, if Dugger had signed an offer sheet with another team and New England declined to match the offer sheet, the Patriots would have received no draft pick compensation. Fortunately for them, no outside club extended an offer, as Dan Duggan of The Athletic confirms. As such, all the Pats needed to do was bump the average annual value of Dugger’s new contract ($14.5MM) slightly above the $13.8MM transition tag value to get a deal done.

In terms of both AAV and total guarantees, Dugger now ranks fifth in the league’s safety hierarchy (excluding Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr., who remains on the franchise tag as of the time of this writing). That underscores his importance to New England’s defense, a unit that finished in the top-10 in total yardage and defensive DVOA in 2023.

Now 28, Dugger has been a full-time starter for most of his four-year career, racking up nine interceptions (including two pick-sixes) and 20 passes defensed along the way. He has not yet earned any Pro Bowl acclaim, and his Pro Football Focus evaluation in 2023 was less than ideal; PFF assigned him an abysmal 50.0 coverage grade and considered him the 68th-best safety out of 95 qualified players.

While it is true that Dugger is more suited to play near the line of scrimmage — he eclipsed 100 tackles for the first time in his career last season — he did yield a fairly modest 82.7 QB rating on passes thrown in his direction in 2023, and his PFF evaluation was much more favorable in 2022, when the advanced metrics placed him as the 11th-best safety among 88 qualifiers.

Regardless of what PFF might say, the Patriots clearly consider Dugger to be a foundational player and value his versatility (in addition to lining up in the box and at free safety, he has also seen action as a slot and boundary corner, on special teams, and even on the D-line). His new contract will keep him under club control into the Pats’ next competitive window.

Patriots To Place Transition Tag On S Kyle Dugger

March 5th, 2024 at 1:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

Amid a flurry of franchise tag decisions, the transition tag will make a rare appearance. The Patriots will take this route to keep Kyle Dugger off the market, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

A rumored franchise tag candidate, Dugger will become just the fifth player transition-tagged over the past 10 years. It will cost the Patriots $13.8MM to use this tag; a franchise tag would have cost them $17.1MM. Considering New England has extended at least one offer on a multi-year pact so far, the team will no doubt continue negotiating on that front moving forward.

Previous extension talks have not gained much traction, but Dugger would have courted numerous suitors had he reached the open market. The Patriots have prevented that from taking place, although today’s move confirms highly-regarded offensive lineman Michael Onwenu will not receive a tag. That comes as little surprise in the latter’s case, but it still sets him up for free agency.

Onwenu is on New England’s radar for a new contract, but his ability to play both tackle and guard will no doubt help his market. Regardless of if he departs in the near future, however, Dugger is set to remain in place as the Patriots aim to repeat their strong showings in a number of defensive categories from 2023. The 27-year-old has been a full-time starter for most of his four-year career, racking up nine interceptions and 20 pass deflections along the way. Better used near the box than as a traditional safety, Dugger eclipsed 100 tackles for the first time in 2023.

Issues in coverage have hurt the Lenoir-Rhyne alum’s PFF evaluations – particularly last year – but he has cemented his status as a key figure in New England’s secondary. Attention will now turn to the latest round of extension talks. $13MM was the reported AAV of the Patriots’ last offer, a figure which falls short of what Dugger will receive in 2024 if he plays on the tag. It will be interesting to see how far the team is willing to go with respect to length and guarantees on a multi-year pact, and the degree to which outside suitors monitor the situation.

Players hit with the non-exclusive franchise tag are allowed the negotiate and sign offer sheets with outside teams. In that event, parent clubs receive two first-round picks as compensation if it is not matched, something which serves as an effective deterrent. New England would not be compensated if Dugger were to sign an unmatched offer sheet due to the transition tag, though. For the time being, he is in place with the Patriots at a reasonable second contract rate.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post. 

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