Ex-Patriots captain Kyle Dugger reportedly finds new AFC home

Kyle Dugger He is on the move again. This time, he’s headed to Cincinnati after signing a one-year contract with the Bengals.

Cincinnati will be the third team in three years for the former Patriots captain.

Dugger and Jabrill Peppers both spent last season with the Steelers. Peppers signed after the Patriots cut him, and Dugger was traded to Pittsburgh for a sixth-round pick.

Dugger’s playing time decreased significantly last year as the Patriots elected to start Craig Woodson and Jaylinn Hawkins at safety.

An aggressive hitting player with a nose for creating turnovers, Dugger found more playing time in Pittsburgh last year. He had 42 tackles, a pair of interceptions and a sack over nine games with the Steelers.

The move proved temporary when a Pittsburgh competitor called.

At his peak, Dugger was one of the Patriots’ best players. He played in all 17 games and made 109 tackles in 2023, along with producing seven pass breakups.

His numbers began to decline in 2024, the first season he went without an interception since his rookie year in 2020.

The former second-round pick spent five and a half seasons with the Patriots.

Although he’s no longer in New England, Dugger has never left the AFC: first New England, then Pittsburgh, and now Cincinnati.

Khari A. Thompson

Sports reporter

Khary Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khary covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.