Patriots reach 4-year, $58 million deal with safety Kyle Dugger

The New England Patriots have reached an agreement with their safety Kyle Dugger on a four-year, $58 million contract extension, ESPN reported on Sunday. The deal can be worth up to $66 million with a bonus and includes $32 million in guaranteed money.

Dugger's average salary under the new deal will be $14.5 million annually, higher than the $13.8 million he would have earned carrying the transition tag. The Patriots gave him that status in March to keep him from becoming a free agent. He also became the only safety of the five players who received the transition tag in the past 10 years.

Both $13.8 million and $14.5 million are among the top 10 salaries for a safety in today's National Football League (NFL). The highest went to Derwin James, who will make $19 million with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Having been drafted by the Patriots with the 37th pick in 2020, Dugger started in 52 of his 61 games since then. He posted a career-high 109 tackles, including 71 solo ones in the 2023 campaign. He also contributed two interceptions, tying safety Jabrill Peppers and linebacker Jahlani Tavai. Dugger played 98 percent of the team's snaps, the most among all defenders.

Back in the 2022 season, Dugger scored three interceptions, becoming the first defender of the Patriots to do so since 1970.

The Patriots finished the 2023 regular season 10-7 and missed the playoffs for the second straight campaign. They parted ways with longtime head coach Bill Belichick and sent away quarterback Mac Jones during this offseason. The team will begin a voluntary offseason program this week. Newly appointed head coach Jerod Mayo and director of scouting Eliot Wolf want to use it to establish team culture.

The Patriots have the No. 3 pick for the coming NFL Draft that will begin on April 26.