The New England Patriots announced on Sunday that they have agreed to a contract extension with safety Kyle Dugger. Dugger was previously set to play in 2024 on a transition tag.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Dugger signed a four-year deal worth $58 million. It comes with $32 million in guaranteed money and the total value maxes at $66 million.
Dugger started all 17 games in 2023, finishing the season with 109 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions, and seven passes defended. In order to avoid losing the 2020 second-round pick in free agency, the Pats decided to place a transition tag on him.
The transition tag allowed Dugger to negotiate with other teams and afforded the Pats to match any contract offer he received. It also guaranteed him a 2024 salary based on the average of the top 10 salaries at his position, which came at $13.8 million.
However, both sides seemed to have been more motivated to hammer out a long-term deal. The Pats get to keep a young and valuable player who can still improve. Dugger, on the other hand, gets a bigger base salary compared to the transition tag while also receiving security.
