The New England Patriots made several questionable moves last offseason, but re-signing safety Kyle Dugger initially seemed like a solid decision.
The team signed Dugger to a four-year, $58 million contract to reward his strong contributions over his first four seasons.
However, the deal has not worked out as expected. Dugger has struggled significantly, leading Sean T. McGuire of NESN to include his contract among decisions causing “buyer’s remorse” for the Patriots.
“Dugger’s ankle injury in Week 4 has physically limited him, but his struggles go beyond that,” McGuire wrote. “His ability to diagnose offenses and communicate has been even more concerning.
Currently, Pro Football Focus ranks him as New England’s 28th-best defender—hardly production justifying the sixth-highest average annual value for a safety.”
Dugger had a particularly rough performance against the Miami Dolphins last week.
Despite this, defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington expressed full confidence in Dugger’s abilities moving forward.
This season, Dugger has played in eight games, recording 44 tackles, one sack, and a forced fumble. Drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Lenoir-Rhyne, the 28-year-old quickly became a key part of the Patriots’ defense.
Last year, he posted impressive numbers, including 109 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble, and seven passes defended.
So far, however, Dugger has fallen short of living up to his lucrative new deal.
