New England Patriots
Dugger signed a one-year deal with the Bengals.
Kyle Dugger AP Photo/Matt Durisko
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Kyle Dugger is on the move again. This time, he’s heading to Cincinnati after inking a one-year deal with the Bengals.
Cincinnati will be the third team in three years for the former Patriots captain.
Both Dugger and Jabrill Peppers spent last season with the Steelers. Peppers signed after the Patriots cut him, and Dugger was traded to Pittsburgh for a sixth-round pick.
Dugger’s playing time dropped off significantly last year as the Patriots opted to start Craig Woodson and Jaylinn Hawkins at the safety spots.
A fierce hitting player with a nose for creating turnovers, Dugger found more playing time in Pittsburgh last year. He had 42 tackles, a pair of interceptions, and a sack during nine games with the Steelers.
The move proved to be temporary as one of Pittsburgh’s division rivals came calling.
At his peak, Dugger was one of the Patriots’ top tacklers. He played all 17 games and made 109 tackles in 2023, along with producing seven pass breakups.
His numbers began to dip in 2024, which was the first season he went without an interception since his rookie year in 2020.
The former second-round pick spent five-and-a-half seasons with the Patriots.
While he is no longer in New England, Dugger has never left the AFC: first New England, then Pittsburgh, now Cincinnati.
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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