- The new deal is worth a base salary of $58 million, including $32.5 million guaranteed
- The 28-year-old has recorded nine INTs and 343 combined tackles over the last four years
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The New England Patriots have spent $66 million to re-sign Kyle Dugger to a new four-year contract as the team begins rebuilding following the shocking departure of Bill Belichick.
The new deal is worth a base salary of $58 million, including $32.5 million in guarantees, and has a maximum value of $66 million, according to NFL Network. The average annual value is $14.5 million.
Dugger started all 17 games last season and led the Patriots with 71 solo tackles and two interceptions.
The 28-year-old has totaled nine interceptions and 343 combined tackles over the past four seasons since being drafted in the second round out of Lenoir-Rhyne in 2020.
What’s more is that Dugger became the first Patriots defenseman since 1970 to score three touchdowns in a season in 2022.
The Pats have re-signed Kyle Dugger to a new deal after using their one-year transition tag on him
The 28-year-old safety was ubiquitous for Bill Belichick last season, starting all 17 Pats games
The Patriots originally used the one-year transition tag on Dugger. They had until July 17 to reach a long-term deal with him or he would have averaged the top 10 salaries at his position next season, which would have been around $14 million.
Instead, the Patriots will not only keep one of their biggest offseason priorities on the new roster, but they secured him for multiple reasons as new head coach Jerod Mayo leads New England’s rebuild.
New head coach and Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf (also the team’s de facto GM) wants to work to establish a culture that, they say, aims in part to reward the homegrown players the team drafts and developed.
New England’s voluntary offseason program kicks off this week.
Belichick, who coached the Patriots for nearly a quarter century (24 seasons), was a fan of Dugger’s versatility, and while the player’s most ideal fit is closer to the line of scrimmage in a multi-pronged scheme, the former New England head coach did not . Don’t hesitate to use him in the deep part of the field last season to complement veteran safety Jabrill Peppers.