The New England Patriots are set to enter the month of November in first place in the AFC East. And while there has been speculation about them being buyers at the trade deadline, they may look to unload the contract of sixth-year safety Kyle Dugger.
Patriots Could Part Ways With Kyle Dugger Next Week
Once a full-time starter, Dugger has been more of a rotation piece in 2025 under New England’s new coaching regime. After playing in 94% of the Patriots defensive snaps in 2023 and 2024, the 29-year-old has seen that number drop to 44% this season. It is the lowest mark of his career thus far, as Jaylinn Hawkins and Craig Woodson have taken over at the top of the depth chart.
The usage certainly doesn’t match the contract anymore. Dugger is in Year 2 of a four-year deal that pays him a total of $58 million, which is the fourth-richest contract on the Patriots’ current payroll. There were talks of Mike Vrabel and company potentially seeking a trade for Dugger this past offseason, and those rumors have only increased with his decrease in playing time.
One week ahead of the NFL trade deadline, some intel from around the league:
Cc: @tyschmit
🎧 https://t.co/lMHQCL5ZKV pic.twitter.com/rvjjOMEWaN
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 28, 2025
If New England wants to shed his salary and add even more future cap space, don’t be surprised to see Kyle Dugger shipped off before next Tuesday afternoon.
ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter confirmed the idea on Tuesday. While speaking about the general trade landscape around the league, Schefter mentioned the Patriots potentially being active ahead of the trade deadline, and named Dugger specifically. He said that New England was open to trading the safety, and said he would “bet” that Dugger is in a new uniform soon.
While he may have fallen out of favor in his current role, he should still draw interest in the market. Several teams are in need of secondary help, and Dugger has previously performed at an above-average level since entering the league in 2020.
