NFL Insider Would Be 'Shocked' If Patriots Found Kyle Dugger Trade Due to Contract

On Sunday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the New England Patriots were shopping veteran safety Kyle Dugger after he was demoted to backup status this summer.

But any potential trade includes one major complication—Dugger's very large contract.

Mark Daniels of MassLive.com reported that "multiple industry sources" said it would "be a surprise" if the Patriots were able to trade Dugger.

One of those sources said he'd be "shocked" if a team took on the remaining guaranteed money on Dugger's contract, adding that "if the Patriots really want Dugger off their roster, they'd have to pay his salary 'way down' to make it more manageable for another team. The second source agreed, saying he believes the only way a Dugger trade would happen is if the Patriots were willing to eat some of the guaranteed money."

Dugger's play declined in 2024 after he suffered a significant ankle injury, and with a new regime in place this season, the veteran safety has fallen out of favor. Jaylinn Hawkins, rookie Craig Woodson and Jabrill Peppers have gotten the majority of the reps with the first-team defense during training camp, making Dugger expendable.

Any deal is likely going to require the Patriots eating some of his remaining money, however. Without that in place, the team is going to have to decide between releasing him and eating some of that money anyway or having a pretty expensive backup on the roster.