Steelers acquire safety Kyle Dugger from the Patriots with veteran DeShon Elliott out indefinitely
DEFENDERS ABOUT THEIR STRUGGLES ON THAT SIDE OF THE FOOTBALL. ALARM BELLS SEEM TO BE SOUNDING OFF. BEFORE THE SEASON. WE HEARD NOTHING BUT GOOD THINGS ABOUT THIS STEELERS DEFENSE AND HOW IT WAS EXPECTED TO BE ONE OF THE BEST IN THE ENTIRE LEAGUE. BUT AFTER MULTIPLE POOR PERFORMANCES, THAT IS CLEARLY NOT THE CASE. SO WHY I TOOK THAT QUESTION INSIDE THE LOCKER ROOM TODAY. THE EVALUATION OF THIS DEFENSE WAS HIGH. POTENTIALLY ONE OF THE BEST IN THE LEAGUE. WHY DO YOU THINK WE’RE NOT SEEING YOU KNOW, WE’RE SEEING A COMPLETE 180 COMPLETE SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WAS EVALUATED EARLY ON. I DON’T KNOW, I CAN’T REALLY SAY. I DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE A TON OF TALENT IN THIS ROOM, LIKE SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP TALENT. AND, I MEAN, WE PUT IT TOGETHER SOMETIMES AND SOMETIMES WE DON’T. WE JUST GOT TO FIND A WAY TO PUT IT TOGETHER FOR THE WHOLE FOUR QUARTERS. WE CAN’T. LIKE I SAID EARLIER, IT CAN’T BE A DRIVE THIS GAME A WHOLE HALF THIS GAME, THREE QUARTERS. IT’S GOT TO BE A WHOLE GAME. AND I MEAN, I KNOW WE HAVE THE TALENT HERE, WE HAVE THE COACHES HERE, SO WE JUST HAVE TO WE JUST GOT TO EXECUTE. PAYTON WILSON THERE FOLLOWING UP SAYING THEY NEED TO PLAY HARDER AND MORE PHYSICAL AS A DEFENSE. THAT SIDE OF THE BALL NOW COMING OFF OF TWO POOR PERFORMANCES IN A ROW. SO WHAT IS KEEPING THEM FROM BEING CONSISTENT? I DON’T KNOW IF I CAN ANSWER THAT FOR YOU RIGHT NOW. HONESTLY. NO, THE REASON I SAY I DON’T KNOW IF I CAN ANSWER THAT FOR YOU IS BECAUSE, I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE I’M A I’M A, I’M A PLAYER. I’M IN IT, YOU KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING? I’M NOT LOOKING AT US BEING INCONSISTENT. I’M TRYING TO GET TO THE NEXT DAY, THE NEXT GAME AND JUST STACK A
Steelers acquire safety Kyle Dugger from the Patriots with veteran DeShon Elliott out indefinitely
Updated: 11:26 AM EDT Oct 29, 2025
The Pittsburgh Steelers have acquired safety Kyle Dugger from New England in hopes of giving the back end of the secondary another experienced option with starter DeShon Elliott out indefinitely with a knee injury.Pittsburgh sent a sixth-round pick in the 2026 draft to New England in exchange for Dugger and a seventh-round selection.Dugger, a second-round choice by the Patriots in 2020, had 17 tackles in seven games with New England this season. The six-year veteran has nine career interceptions, including a pair of Pick-6s in 2022.Elliott injured his right knee in the second half of Pittsburgh’s 35-25 loss to Green Bay on Sunday night. Dugger joins a safety group that includes Chuck Clark and Jabrill Peppers.Pittsburgh’s secondary is struggling. The Steelers are dead last in the NFL against the pass and have surrendered over 700 yards in their last two games to Cincinnati’s Joe Flacco and Green Bay’s Jordan Love.Things won’t get any easier for Pittsburgh this weekend when AFC South-leading Indianapolis (7-1) and the NFL’s top offense visit Acrisure Stadium.
PITTSBURGH (AP) —
The Pittsburgh Steelers have acquired safety Kyle Dugger from New England in hopes of giving the back end of the secondary another experienced option with starter DeShon Elliott out indefinitely with a knee injury.
Pittsburgh sent a sixth-round pick in the 2026 draft to New England in exchange for Dugger and a seventh-round selection.
Dugger, a second-round choice by the Patriots in 2020, had 17 tackles in seven games with New England this season. The six-year veteran has nine career interceptions, including a pair of Pick-6s in 2022.
Elliott injured his right knee in the second half of Pittsburgh’s 35-25 loss to Green Bay on Sunday night. Dugger joins a safety group that includes Chuck Clark and Jabrill Peppers.
Pittsburgh’s secondary is struggling. The Steelers are dead last in the NFL against the pass and have surrendered over 700 yards in their last two games to Cincinnati’s Joe Flacco and Green Bay’s Jordan Love.
Things won’t get any easier for Pittsburgh this weekend when AFC South-leading Indianapolis (7-1) and the NFL’s top offense visit Acrisure Stadium.