The Pittsburgh Steelers wasted no time filling the hole created from DeShon Elliott’s injury. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday night the Steelers have acquired veteran safety Kyle Dugger from the New England Patriots.
Schefter posted on X the Steelers agreed to send a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Patriots for Dugger and a 2026 seventh-rounder.
The Steelers traded for Dugger just hours after the team reported signed veteran safety Darrick Forrest to the practice squad.
Head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters Tuesday that Elliott would miss Week 9 because of a knee injury. Elliott suffered the knee ailment Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.
The knee injury initially appeared to be significant. Tomlin referred to the starting safety as week-to-week.
The Patriots traded Dugger less than two seasons into the four-year, $58 million extension he signed with the team before 2024.
Steelers Acquire Patriots Safety Kyle Dugger
On Tuesday, Tomlin left open the possibility of Elliott not landing on injured reserve because of his knee issue. Whether that’s the case or not, the Steelers are clearly not taking any chances.
With Dugger, Tomlin’s defense has added an experienced, veteran starter. As Schefter indicated, Dugger fell out of favor in New England under new head coach Mike Vrabel.
At the end of the Bill Belichick era and under Jerod Mayo, Dugger started 65 contests over five seasons. This year, he started four of seven games in New England. He had 17 combined tackles while playing 44% of New England’s defensive snaps.
Dugger also played 44% of the Patriots’ special teams snaps before the trade.
Last season, Dugger lined up for 90% of New England’s defensive snaps in 13 contests. He played a career high 1,115 defensive snaps (98% of the team’s defensive plays) during 2023.
How Quickly Will Dugger Play for Steelers?
The Steelers adding two safeties Tuesday could be an indication they expect Elliott to miss significant time. If that’s the case, the Steelers defense will lose a safety that has experienced success in his career as both a run stopper and pass defender.
Tomlin addressed what the team will lose without Elliott, who will at least miss Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts.
“He’s a significant component of what we do, particularly relative to some of the things that Indy does well,” Tomlin told reporters Tuesday. “He is a central figure in our secondary in terms of run defense for example. He covers tight ens in passing circumstances, so certainly, we have some adapting to do in terms of how we divide the labor up this week.
“But that’s always the case when you lose someone, particularly someone significant. It’s not a one-person job. It’s a multiple-person job.”
The Steelers likely see Dugger as a potential starter replacement for Elliott. But given those Tomlin comments (which were made before the trade), Dugger is probably not going to step right into Elliott’s role in less than a week.
As Dugger learns the Steelers defensive system, the team will probably lean on Chuck Clark and Jabrill Peppers to play next to Juan Thornhill at safety.
In 81 career NFL games, Dugger has posted 441 combined tackles, including 25 tackles for loss. He also has 24 pass defense, nine interceptions and 3.5 sacks.
His best statistical season was in 2023 when he had 109 combined tackles, seven pass defenses, 1.5 sacks and two interceptions.
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