Kyle Dugger

PRO CAREER

• Has played in 81 regular-season games (69 starts) over his six-year NFL career (New England 2020-25; Pittsburgh 2025)
• Has registered 412 tackles (278 solo), 25 tackles for loss, 24 passes defensed, 10 quarterback hits, nine interceptions, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two interception returns for TD and one fumble return for TD
• Has added 29 tackles (18 solo) on special teams
• Has played in one postseason contest (one start) and notched four tackles (three solo)
• Named Team Captain for New England in 2024
• Scored three defensive TDs in 2022
• First New England player since 1970 with three defensive TDs in a single season
• Recorded a 59-yard fumble return for TD vs. Detroit on Oct. 9, a 16-yard interception return for TD at Las Vegas on Dec. 18 and a 39-yard interception return for TD vs. Miami on Jan. 1
• Awarded AFC Defensive Player of the Week (Week 17 of 2022)
• Made NFL debut in Week 1 of 2020 (vs. Miami)
• Made NFL starting debut in Week 10 of 2020 (vs. Baltimore)

PRO CAREER

• Has played in 81 regular-season games (69 starts) over his six-year NFL career (New England 2020-25; Pittsburgh 2025)
• Has registered 412 tackles (278 solo), 25 tackles for loss, 24 passes defensed, 10 quarterback hits, nine interceptions, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two interception returns for TD and one fumble return for TD
• Has added 29 tackles (18 solo) on special teams
• Has played in one postseason contest (one start) and notched four tackles (three solo)
• Named Team Captain for New England in 2024
• Scored three defensive TDs in 2022
• First New England player since 1970 with three defensive TDs in a single season
• Recorded a 59-yard fumble return for TD vs. Detroit on Oct. 9, a 16-yard interception return for TD at Las Vegas on Dec. 18 and a 39-yard interception return for TD vs. Miami on Jan. 1
• Awarded AFC Defensive Player of the Week (Week 17 of 2022)
• Made NFL debut in Week 1 of 2020 (vs. Miami)
• Made NFL starting debut in Week 10 of 2020 (vs. Baltimore) 

COLLEGE

• Appeared in 42 games during his career at Lenoir-Rhyne (2014-19) and totaled 237 tackles, 10 interceptions, 36 passes defensed, six forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries
• Also returned 67 punts for a school-record 929 yards and six TDs
• Despite playing in just seven games due to injury as a senior in 2019, Dugger was impactful enough to win the Cliff Harris Award, given to the best defensive player in NCAA Division II
• Named a D2Football.com First Team All-American while the AFCA and D2CCA awarded him Second Team All-American honors
• Only player in Lenoir-Rhyne history to have two games with punt returns for TDs
• Named First Team All-South Atlantic Conference at both defensive back and return specialist as a junior in 2018
• Named Second Team All-Conference as a redshirt sophomore in 2017
• Earned a medical redshirt in 2016
• Started 10 games as a redshirt freshman in 2015 and led the team with six passes defensed, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries
• Named South Atlantic Conference Defensive Freshman of the Year

2025 (PATRIOTS)

• Played in seven regular-season games (four starts)
• Started in a three-safety set vs. Las Vegas (Week 1) and at Miami (Week 2)
• Started at safety in place of an injured Jaylinn Hawkins at New Orleans (Week 6) and at Tennessee (Week 7)
• Inactive vs. Cleveland (Week 8) due to injury

2024 (PATRIOTS)

• Played in 13 regular-season games (13 starts)
• Registered 79 tackles (54 solo), 1.0 sack, one QB hit, one forced fumble, four passes defensed and two tackles on special teams
• Missed four games due to injury - vs. Miami (Week 5), vs. N.Y. Jets (Week 8), at Tennessee (Week 9) and at Chicago (Week 10)
• Was named a team captain for the first time in his career
• Forced a fumble at the one-yard line after a catch by TE Tanner Hudson at Cincinnati (Week 1), which was recovered by CB Marcus Jones and returned to the New England 17-yard line to lead to a K Joey Slye field goal and a 10-0 lead in a 16-10 victory
• Led the team with eight tackles vs. Seattle (Week 2), recording a sack for a four-yard loss
• Stopped RB Zach Charbonnet for a one-yard loss on a fourth-and-one rushing attempt in the third quarter
• Left in the game in the first half with an injury at San Francisco (Week 4), did not return
• Registered his fifth-career game with 10+ tackles after finishing with 11 at Jacksonville (Week 7) -- the 11 tackles are the third-most in his career
• Returned to the starting lineup vs. the L.A. Rams (Week 11) after missing three consecutive games due to injury
• Led the team with 10 tackles at Arizona (Week 15), the sixth 10-tackle game of his career and second of the 2024 season

2023 (PATRIOTS)

• Played in all 17 regular-season games (17 starts)
• Registered 107 tackles (70 solo), 1.5 sacks, two interceptions, six tackles for loss, seven passes defensed, one forced fumble, five QB hits and two tackles on special teams
• Had a critical fumble recovery in the third quarter vs. Miami (Week 2) on a blocked field goal by DB Brenden Schooler
• Collected seven tackles (five solo), one tackle for loss and one pass defensed at N.Y. Jets (Week 3); had a key fourth-down tackle late in the fourth quarter and his pass defense sealed the 15-10 win for New England
• Registered a career-high 15 tackles at Dallas (Week 4), the highest tackle output by a Patriots player since LB Ja'Whaun Bentley had 17 tackles on Jan. 9, 2022 at Miami
• Had an interception on a Tua Tagovailoa pass in the first quarter at Miami (Week 8) to give the Patriots a first down at the Miami 30-yard line
• The turnover set up the Patriots first TD three plays later when QB Mac Jones connected with WR Kendrick Bourne for a 24-yard TD
• Sacked Tagovailoa for a six-yard loss in the second quarter for his second career sack
• Picked off QB Sam Howell (Week 9) in the end zone on a pass from the five-yard line with 23 seconds to play to prevent a score and allow the Patriots a 14-10 halftime advantage vs. Washington
• Combined with DL Christian Barmore, bringing QB Mitchell Trubisky down for a sack on a 3rd-and-7 situation in the third quarter at Pittsburgh (Week 14), forcing the Steelers to punt
• Collected 10 tackles at Buffalo (Week 17), giving him his third 10-tackle game of 2023

2022 (PATRIOTS)

• Played in 15 regular-season games (15 starts)
• Recorded 69 tackles (46 solo) and registered three interceptions, two of which he returned for TDs, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery for a TD, 1.0 sack, nine tackles on special teams and one kickoff return for 37 yards
• Inactive due to injury vs. Baltimore (Week 3) and at N.Y. Jets (Week 8)
• First New England player since 1970 with three defensive TDs in a single season
• Had a 59-yard fumble return for TD vs. Detroit (Week 5), 16-yard interception return for TD at Las Vegas (Week 15) and 39-yard interception return for TD vs. Miami on (Week 17)
• Played a major role in four of New England's NFL-best and team-best seven defensive TDs
• In addition to his three TDs, forced a fumble that LB Raekwon McMillan returned 23 yards for a TD in the third quarter at Arizona (Week 14)
• Named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance vs. Miami (Week 17)
• Returned a kickoff for 37 yards in the second quarter at Pittsburgh (Week 2) -- his first kickoff return since his rookie season in 2020
• Part of the defensive unit that pitched a shutout vs. Detroit (Week 5) in a 29-0 win
• Lions entered the game with the top-ranked offense in the NFL
• Recovered a fumble that was forced on a 13-yard sack by LB Matthew Judon and returned the ball 59 yards for a TD in the second quarter (fourth-longest fumble return in team history)
• Led the team in tackles with eight (six solo) at Cleveland (Week 6)
• Made his first interception of the season, on the opening drive of the game, against the Browns
• Registered his first career sack when he dropped Jets QB Zach Wilson for an eight-yard loss in the fourth quarter vs. N.Y. Jets (Week 11)
• Forced a fumble at Arizona (Week 14) after a reception by WR DeAndre Hopkins and LB Raekwon McMillan returned the ball 23 yards for a TD in the third quarter
• Picked off a QB Derek Carr pass in the third quarter at Las Vegas (Week 15) and returned it 13 yards for his second TD of the season
• Recorded five tackles (three solo) vs. Miami (Week 17)
• Scored his third TD of the season after returning a third-quarter interception 39 yards for a TD

2021 (PATRIOTS)

• Played in 15 regular-season games (13 starts)
• Registered 84 tackles (63 solo), four interceptions, five passes defensed, one fumble recovery and eight tackles on special teams
• Started nine games as a defensive back in the nickel defense and four games at safety
• Missed the game at Buffalo (Week 14) due to being on the COVID-19 list and the game at Miami (Week 18) due to injury
• Started in his first playoff game in the Wild Card Round loss at Buffalo (1/15) and had four tackles
• Tallied a team-high 10 tackles as a starter in the nickel package at Houston (Week 5)
• Registered his first career interception vs. Dallas (Week 6) when he picked off QB Dak Prescott in the endzone in the second quarter off a deflected pass by DB Justin Bethel
• Returned the pick 29 yards to the New England 25-yard line -- also recorded eight tackles on the day
• Recorded an interception for the second straight game when he picked off QB Mike White in the third quarter vs. N.Y. Jets (Week 7) -- also tallied a team-high eight tackles and one special teams stop
• Posted a team-high six tackles as a starter at L.A. Chargers (Week 8)
• Stepped up on special teams as well due to injuries to LB Brandon King and LB Harvey Langi
• Picked off his third pass of the season vs. Cleveland (Week 10) when he caught a QB Baker Mayfield pass in the second quarter and returned it 37-yards to the Cleveland five-yard line to set up a five-yard TD run by RB Rhamondre Stevenson on the very next play
• Registered a team-high six solo tackles at Atlanta (Week 11), with one pass defensed and one tackle on special teams
• Recorded eight tackles and one tackle on special teams vs. Tennessee (Week 12) -- also recovered a fumble in the second quarter forced by DL Davon Godchaux
• Placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Dec. 1 and activated from Reserve/COVID-19 list on Dec. 14
• Registered an interception vs. Jacksonville (Week 17) and recorded a 20-yard return to the one-yard line to set up a Patriots TD
• Inactive at Miami (Week 18) due to injury

2020 (PATRIOTS)

• Played in 14 regular-season games (seven starts)
• Made seven starts in nickel defense
• Registered 59 tackles (40 solo), one pass defensed and five tackles on special teams
• Returned two kickoffs for 47 yards
• Inactive vs. San Francisco (Week 7) and at Buffalo (Week 8) due to injury
• Made his NFL debut, appearing as a reserve at safety and on special teams, in the season-opening win over Miami (Week 1)
• Appeared as a reserve at safety and made five tackles at Seattle (Week 2) -- also returned his first NFL kickoff 30 yards
• Made his first NFL start when the Patriots opened in nickel defense in the win vs. Baltimore (Week 10) -- led the team with 12 tackles
• Started for the third straight week vs. Arizona (Week 12) and made four tackles
• Played a key role in limiting Arizona to 298 net yards
• Arizona entered the game with the NFL's top-ranked offense, averaging 414.3 yards/game
• Started at safety and made four tackles, one pass defensed and one tackle on special teams at Miami (Week 15)

PERSONAL

• Attended Whitewater H.S. (Fayetteville, Ga.), where he lettered for two years in both football and basketball
• Recorded 80 tackles, three interceptions and five passes defensed as a senior in 2013
• Earned First Team All-County in football and All-County Honorable Mention honors in basketball