Patriots’ Kyle Dugger Playing Waiting Game With Potential Contract Extension

It was a quiet preseason on all fronts for one of the key members of the New England Patriots defense.

That includes any chatter about a possible contract extension for safety Kyle Dugger.

Dugger is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is a strong candidate for an extension given the 27-year-old's value as a versatile and integral part of New England's secondary.

But there's been little to no news about Dugger tying his future to the Patriots and while it would be advantageous for both sides to strike a deal prior to the start of the season, that doesn't look like a likely outcome.

"I don't really have a timeline on (negotiations)," Dugger told the Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan on Wednesday. "I'm just trying to focus. We got a game on Sunday. So I'm just thinking about that and let my agent kind of handle everything. So (that's) their business. and I've gotta handle my business."

The Patriots have a history of extending standout players prior to the season. Callahan pointed to New England taking that route with right guard Shaq Mason in 2018 and then with cornerback Jonathan Jones the following year.

That might not be the case when it comes to Dugger, who has proven his worth and done pretty much everything right on and off the field since being selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He totaled 92 tackles in 2021 and followed that up with 78 takedowns last season, good for second-most on the team each year. He also recorded seven interceptions combined over the past two seasons.

But Dugger has been mum on details about a potential contract extension. That's not because he's trying to hide anything. He wants to be kept in the dark.

"I haven't really heard a lot," Dugger told Callahan. "So I mean, I kind of asked (for) that, you know. I asked my agent to just let me focus on the season. So I may be wrong, but I haven't really gotten into it."