FOXBORO, Mass. — The New England Patriots are trading away two defensive players, including a recent team captain, according to reports.
The Patriots are trading veteran safety Kyle Dugger and a 7th-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 6th-round pick, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Additionally, the Patriots are sending defensive end Keion White to the San Francisco 49ers, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. New England will add a 2026 sixth-round pick while San Francisco receives White and a 2026 seventh-rounder.
Dugger will reunite with former Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers in the Steelers’ secondary.
Dugger, a 2nd round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, was the longest tenured player in Foxboro. After emerging as a team leader, culminating with a team captaincy last season, Dugger struggled to overcome injuries and adapt to new head coach Mike Vrabel’s defensive scheme and was mostly relegated to reserve duties amid New England’s 6-2 start.
San Francisco’s trade for White comes as the injury-plagued Niners look to overcome injuries to star defensive players Fred Warner and Nick Bosa.
White was a healthy scratch in Sunday’s 32-13 win over the Cleveland Browns.
New England drafted White in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft with the 46th overall pick. After a quiet rookie season with just one sack, White had four sacks in the first two games of his sophomore season but only had one over the following 15 matchups as he was in and out of the starting lineup.
The Patriots are tied with the Denver Broncos for the second-best record in the AFC. Only the Indianapolis Colts have been better at 7-1.
They will host the Atlanta Falcons at home this Sunday.
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