The New England Patriots have come to terms with safety Kyle Dugger on a new 4 year, $58M contract extension which could rise to as much as $66M if all escalators are reached.
Coming in at an AAV of $14.5M per season, Dugger’s new deal is also reported to include $32M in guaranteed money. New England had previously used its transition tag on the 28 year old in an effort to restrict his free agency as both sides worked towards a new deal.
With voluntary offseason workouts set to being next week, new head coach Jerod Mayo and his staff have been preaching that they want to reward “homegrown talent” in Foxborough. Dugger was a 2nd pick of the Patriots back in the 2020 NFL Draft, and had a career year in 2023 recording 109 tackles and taking 98% of the team’s defensive snaps.
Coveted by former head coach Bill Belichick for his versatility, the former Division 2 standout can play all over the field, and figures to be a key piece of the Patriots’ new identity moving forward.
Dugger cut his teeth learning from veteran safety Devin McCourty, and took on a larger leadership role with the team following his retirement last season.
In addition to Dugger’s extension, the team has also handed out 2 year deals to Hunter Henry and Kendrick Bourne, as well as a 1 year extension to Josh Uche this offseason as they hope to establish some continuity heading into 2024.
Following a dismal 4-13 campaign last year, New England will look to retool at the NFL Draft, and will likely select one of Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, or Drake Maye when choose 3rd overall on April 25th.
Photo: Terrance Bell. This file is a work of a U.S. Army soldier or employee, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain in the United States.