The New England Patriots were active on the trade front ahead of their Week 9 contest against the Atlanta Falcons.
The Patriots reportedly dealt veteran safety Kyle Dugger and a seventh-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, New England received a sixth-round pick in return.
Trade: New England is sending safety Kyle Dugger and a 7th-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 6th-round pick, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 28, 2025
This is New England’s second trade today. It also sent edge Keion White and a 7th-round pick to the 49ers for a 6th-round pick. pic.twitter.com/gCxRkMq0Lp
Per NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport, New England is also agreeing to cover $5.4 million of Dugger’s remaining salary.
The deal was the Patriots’ second of the day. New England also traded defensive end Keion White and a seventh-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for a sixth-round pick.
Dugger, who is in his sixth NFL season, was the Patriots’ longest-tenured veteran. The team drafted him 37th overall in 2020 and became a full-time starter midway through his rookie season. He held the role through last year, but lost his starting job this season. The Lenoir-Rhyne product finished top-3 on the Patriots in combined tackles in each of the last four seasons.
Through seven games this season (four starts), Dugger has tallied 17 tackles.
Like Dugger, White was also a former second-round pick drafted by the Patriots who got demoted to the bench with the arrival of new head coach Mike Vrabel. With a new regime in New England, the team felt the need to ship away two members of the old guard.
