FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots announced that they have traded S Kyle Dugger to the Pittsburgh Steelers and signed rookie S John Saunders Jr. to the 53-man roster from the Miami practice squad.
Saunders, 24, originally signed with the Miami Dolphins as a rookie free agent out of Mississippi on May 9, 2025, and began the season on the practice squad. The 6-foot-2, 211-pounder began his college career at Miami (Ohio) before transferring to Mississippi following the 2022 season. He led the SEC in turnovers last season with seven turnovers (3 interceptions and 4 forced fumbles). Saunders had 11 interceptions in 49 collegiate games.
Dugger, 29, was originally drafted by New England in the second-round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Lenoir-Rhyne. The 6-foot-1, 216-pounder, has played in 81 games with 69 starts and has accumulated 412 total tackles, 3½ sacks, 9 interceptions with two returned for a touchdown, 24 passes defensed, 3 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries with one returned for a touchdown. Dugger played in seven games with four starts in 2025 and registered 14 total tackles and 3 special teams tackles.
