Safety Kyle Dugger will not be returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2026 season, but he is staying in the AFC North, as the Cincinnati Bengals and Dugger have agreed on a one-year contract, as first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Dugger joined the Steelers mid-season in 2025, coming over from the New England Patriots in a trade the week before the deadline. The Steelers sent a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to New England , getting Dugger and a seventh-round pick back in exchange.
The Steelers had an acute need at safety after starting strong safety DeShon Elliott was lost for the season to an injury. Dugger started his first game with the Steelers just four days after his trade and finished the regular season as the team's only starter at strong safety.
In nine games with the Steelers, Dugger had 42 tackles, two for a loss, one sack, one quarterback hit, five passes defended and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals .
But Dugger also struggled at times in coverage. He was targeted 30 times in nine games, per Pro Football Focus , allowing 19 catches for 242 yards and four touchdowns — a 100.3 passer rating when targeted. Against the Cleveland Browns in Week 17, he took a poor angle on a poorly thrown Shedeur Sanders pass, allowing Harold Fannin Jr. to score a touchdown.
Dugger saw his role reduced after that game. He appeared in 99.6% of the Steelers' defensive snaps between his trade and Week 17. In Week 18 against the Baltimore Ravens , he played in 56.9% of the defensive snaps, and he was removed from the starting lineup and played 47.1% of the defensive snaps against the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card playoff game.
Elliott is expected to return to full health in advance of the 2026 season, and the Steelers have also added safety Jaquan Brisker on a one-year free agent contract. Brisker can play both free and strong safety.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : AFC North Rival Signs Away Steelers Defensive Back
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