Steelers Fans Get New Glowing Report About Safety Kyle Dugger As He Brings A Huge Upgrade To The Defense

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a team that has been involved in plenty of trade rumors, and those rumors amplify as the trade deadline grows closer. The deadline is on November 4th, and Pittsburgh has made its first trade of the regular season. The organization acquired safety Kyle Dugger from the New England Patriots earlier in the week as the two sides swapped a sixth and seventh round pick as well in the deal. Dugger was a smart player for the Steelers to acquire, especially after DeShon Elliott's knee injury that got him placed on Injured Reserve.

Elliott could miss serious time with his injury, but he will be out for at least four games and it could be more. Dugger will come in and try to fill his shoes, as he should be an immediate contributor to the defense. The trade was officially announced by the team on Thursday, so he won't have much time to get on the practice field or ingratiate himself into the defensive system. He could see the field some on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, but it would be in a limited capacity. 

Current Pittsburgh safety Jabrill Peppers played with Dugger in New England, and he shared some glowing comments on his new teammate while speaking with Jim Wexell of SteelCityInsider.

"Personally, I think he's one of the better safeties in the league -- 6-1, 6-2, long arms, fast, explosive, can cover, play the run, play over the top, can play underneath," Peppers told SteelCityInsider. "He was dealing with a little bit of an injury last year. His deltoid was off the bone. I don't know if anybody really knew, like, what was going on with him, but it's kind of hard to play with things like that. So I'm excited for him."

Dugger only played in 13 games during the 2024 season due to his shoulder injury, but he did try to play through, which it led to a slight dip in his production. A new coaching staff came into New England during the 2025 offseason, and they decided to go in a new direction at safety. This led to Peppers getting cut and then signed by Pittsburgh, and it also led to Dugger being available via trade.

Peppers is expected to be starting at safety on Sunday against the Colts, and he and Dugger should eventually become the starting safety duo for the Steelers once the newly acquired safety gets acclimated. Dugger has racked up 441 total tackles in his career to go with nine interceptions. He is a great tackler and is a true asset in run support, which is something Pittsburgh needs as the season moves on.

Pittsburgh's defense has been very disappointing so far in 2025, and hopefully the change to Dugger and Peppers at safety is able to provide some sort of spark for the back end. The Steelers need it, especially with a three-game losing streak looming.

Steelers Made Great Low-Risk Move In Acquiring Kyle Dugger

Dugger was relatively cheap for Pittsburgh when it came to draft capital, but many fans were immediately worried about the financial impact of the deal. The safety had signed a lucrative contract extension back in 2024, and that was a concern with him coming into Pittsburgh. The deal was for four years and $58 million, but the Steelers had it negotiated in the trade talks that the rest of the years on the deal are wiped out. This means the safety will be a free agent after the 2025 season ends, and the organization is not tied to him financially. 

In addition to that, New England is also paying the majority of his remaining salary for the 2025 season. This is already a win for the Steelers.

What do you think about Peppers' comments on Dugger? Let us know in the comments below!

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